The Tears of a Demoness
by Forsaken Wanderer
Summary: A branch of Warlords Don't Cry. We learn more of Sesshoumaru's mother with flashbacks of her past and when she pays an unexpected visit to her little Sesshychan. 6th chapter up
1. Reflection of the Past

Author's Note: It might be best if you read "Warlords Don't Cry" before you read this fan fiction as this will branch off from it. If you're offended by language, I suggest you don't read this fan fiction. And fair warning, Inutaishou and Achika are really mean to the other. Just don't hate the Inu-Papa. If you must hate someone, hate Sasame. I had a hard time making Inutaishou a stupid, self-centered male. This story will flip back between Achika's point of view where she flashbacks certain times in her life and the present time which will be in omniscient third person. And I'm sorry if you all don't like hearing about the Inu-Mama and the Inu-Papa. I just love that couple and so, this is what spawned this fan fiction. If you don't like it, then don't read. I'm not a fan of the goody-two shoe characters in InuYasha...so there. XD Also, despite the title, this will be happier. It will have a bittersweet ending.

I remember the first time I met Inutaishou. I wish I could say that meeting him was love at first sight; that it was a romantic's dream, to be hopelessly lost in affection. But to be perfectly honest, it was nothing like the frivolous fantasies that silly girls fill their heads with.

What can be said about Inutaishou when he was a youth? Simply put, he was a slob, an arrogant ass of youkai, and had enough hormones infesting his pea-mite brain that he had trouble putting two sentences together without being interrupted by perverse thoughts. But then again, one had to look at who his best friend was at the time: Sasame. Dear gods above the two together were terrible. But it wasn't like I had to worry about them flirting with me. At the age of sixteen I was still growing into my looks; long legs that were disproportioned to the rest of my body and lacking the feminine figure men fall for. I remember feeling so awkward, so out of place. In fact, at the time I was taller than Sasame. I don't think the kitsune was fond of the idea. I was only two inches taller than him though I later came to know in my adult years that his desire to be taller was clearly compensating for something _else_. Anyway, it wasn't until I was at my eighteenth summer that Sasame grew taller than myself. And finally, my body was somewhat acceptable. Though my height was still abnormal for a demoness, I looked more willowy than lanky and my torso filled out. Yet, despite this change in figure, I didn't take the time to make myself look girly. I found it impractical. My silver hair that my mother loved found itselftightly woundinto a bun. I refused to put on makeup. And all the kimonos my father got me for my birthday would wind up stuffed in my closet. I preferred haoris and hakamas to frilly kimonos. I'll admit I was a bit of a tomboy. Of course, this simply wouldn't do if I were to be a bride to some warlord. But you see, this was my plan. If I didn't dress girly, the idiotic males wouldn't come after me.I refused to dress up and swoon over some man so that I could share a bed with him. Men were a weakness in my eyes. When I was only eight, I declared I would die before I married. So yes, I was a little extreme but if you knew what kind of men I encountered, you would have the same feelings exactly.

Mother always said I was beautiful. I remember her telling me that one day there would be a man that would love me for who I was, that I only had to be patient. I laughed at this as I had already decided marriage was stupid.

"Achika," she said one day, "if only you would give a man a chance to approach you, I'm sure you would find that you liked courting. After all, look at your father. He's a wonderful demon and without him, I couldn't have had you." She smiled at me, that warm smile that could light up a room. It always gave me hope, that there was some good in the world as long as she smiled. "And just think, you could fall in love with a handsome man, have a lovely wedding, and then bear him children. You being a woman must learn that this is expected of you," she reminded, running a soft brush through my hair. I only let her brush it. She was the only person that ever saw me with my hair down.

"I know this, Mother. But what about what I expect from myself? A man would only weigh me down. I cannot achieve what I desire if I have to do the bidding of a demon lord," I frowned, looking at the reflection of her in the vanity mirror. My mother sighed softly, halting in her brushing.

"My daughter, I admire your determination, but you must realize that these dreams you have cannot come true. Intelligent though you may be, you live in a world that is run by demons, not demonesses. And you being your father and my only offspring, you must do what is expected of you." I groaned. I wished that I was not an only child. Frankly, it was rather strange. Often a demoness would bear her husband an heir as well as several other pups. But I suppose my parents thought I was a handful and more children would be only a hassle.

"Yes, yes," I moaned, reciting what had been told to me so many times. "I, being the only heir of you two must wed some demon to carry on the family blood. If I do not, my family will die out and so on and so forth..."

"Right, my daughter. If only you could keep an open mind on this. Now, listen to me, Achika. You are a remarkable young woman. You're pretty, you're clever, and you have a strong will. There will be a man thatshall find these attributes attractive. You see, my child, males are stupid creatures, demon and man alike. They cannot help this, it is their nature," she laughed softly, pulling my hair up into its bun, "yet, there are those select few that will be able to see you for the great person you are. So do not be so hasty to scare men away, you might find one and fall in love one day." Kissing my cheek, she gave her warm smile once more. "Now will you please stop being so obstinate? Will you at least try to give a demon or two a chance today? Do it for me, if not for yourself," my mother said, helping me stand. I nodded as I followed her into the main rooms of the castle. We were currently visiting the Western castle, as well as all the other demons and demonesses of Japan, for there still was an annual meeting for the Lords and Ladies back then.

I knew that even if there was the small chance a demon would take interest in me, that the chances of me wedding him were slim. I didn't have much of a dowry, for my father was the general of only a small part of the Western Lands. Despite this, he and Inutaishou's father were good friends and sadly for me, I often accompanied my father when he went to visit the Western castle. I didn't mind the castle; it was the heir that occupied the castle that irked me beyond all reason.

As I entered the large room that was filled with all sorts of youkai, I saw Father discussing something with the Western Lord. Their eyes drifted to me and then to Inutaishou, who at the time was flirting with some mindless girls while Sasame was a little more daring with several other demonesses. I sighed, rolling my eyes. How was I supposed to find interest in these two? Noticing my mood, Mother put her hand on my shoulder.

"Just give them a chance. I'll be with your father, as well as Inutaishou's parents, all right?" There was a knowing smile on her face, quite different from the one I saw earlier. I shrugged this off, not giving it a second thought. As I nodded, she went to Father, leaving me alone. And although I was surrounded by demons, I still felt this loneliness tugging at my heart. It is a terrible feeling to feel alone.

Forcing my way through the crowd, I tried to find someone to talk to, all the while ignoring cruel looks from the demons I passed by. There were mutterings on my appearance, yet I overlooked this. Let them stare, I remember thinking. It's not like I cared what they thought of me. But I knew this was a lie to myself, to cover up how awful I felt for not fitting in. Pushing aside some people, I came upon Hirata, who would later become the Eastern Lord. He was sitting by his lonesome, his radiant eyes lost in another world. The youkai was strange, I'll admit, but then again, he couldn't be any worse when being compared to that of Inutaishou and Sasame. Walking toward him, I sat beside the snake youkai, giving a friendly wave.

"Um, hello, Hirata. I hope this seat isn't taken?" I started, attempting a conversation. I felt for this youkai. His parents were dead and some twisted guardian that I knew little of raised him. No one really paid him any attention except to taunt or tease him. So, he lived life as an outcast, always watching from afar.

"And who would it be taken by?" he said, never turning to glance at me.

"Oh...I see. Well, I'm here now, aren't you glad to have some company?"

"Not really. Socializing is a nuisance," Hirata replied, his monotone voice offering no means of conversation. How wonderful. Out of the men that I might have had a chance with, two were perverted and the other had less socializing experience than a wall. I looked down at my feet, trying to think of something, _anything_ to talk about. But my thoughts were interrupted by a certain kitsune and inu.

"Inutaishou, look at what we have here. The two little nobodies gathering together. How quaint," Sasame cackled, spitting on Hirata's feet and then grabbing my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "Do you feel like you have a place now? At least you two can be left out together," the kitsune continued, his radiant hair moving slightly across his forehead with each chortle he emitted.

"It's not amusing annoying them, Sasame. Hirata only stares off and it's no fun looking at Achika. Why, she looks more like a man than Hirata does," Inutaishou taunted, making a face at me. Yes, I told you correctly. This was the boy who would grow up to be the feared Lord of the Western Lands. But you would have thought he might have had some manners at eighteen, being of royal blood, but this was not the case.

"Good one, Inu," Sasame removed his hand from my chin, punching Inutaishou in the arm. Stupid male mannerisms. "But what are we going to do to pass the time? I think I've already slept with every girl here that's our age and you've already had a go at quite a lot of them too," Sasame and Inutaishou laughed together. "Oh, well, I don't suppose we've given Achika a go."

"Hell, she doesn't count. I mean, if she had any flatter of a chest, she'd pass as a guy." At this point, Inutaishou slapped me across the chest, only fueling the two's laughter more. My face flushed harder, and I looked at Hirata, hoping that he might offer something to help me. But he just sat there, staring off into gods' know what. Fine, I told myself, I'd have to fight back, but not with fists mind you. I was awful at combat, but I could defend my ground with words. Standing up, I glared at the two, my face still heated with a blush.

"You know, just because I don't wear skimpy clothing or let my chest hang out like the whores you two occupy your time with, doesn't mean that I'm not a woman. You two are just so dense you can't look past something as petty as clothing. It shouldn't matter if I wear kimonos or haoris, I'm still the same person," I snapped, feeling my fists clench. Sasame roared with laughter.

"Listen to her preach! Is that some nonsense your little mummy told you? Or maybe your daddy?" Sasame twisted his mouth into a smirk, pouting out his lower lip and clamping his hands together to only infuriate me more so.

"Aw, how sweet. But then again, her father is probably the only manwho would love her!" Inutaishou slapped his leg, as the two continued their laughs, choking from lack of air. I felt my eyes tear up. I couldn't help it. They'd nailed my fear of never having a man to love me.

"I realize that everyone is insecure about something," my voice cracked, trying to regain myself, "but you both must be drowning in lack of self-esteem if you must insult others to boost your own self image," I spat, a few tears leaking from my eyes. Sasame and Inutaishou actually stopped for just a moment, blinking in surprise. I'd caught them off guard, and they knew it. A smug look appeared on my face, though tears continued to trail down. Coughing, Inutaishou looked to Sasame.

"Come on, Sasame, leave it to Achika to ruin our fun. I'm sure there are a few girls around we can mess with. Much better than Mr. Wall and his sidekick, She-man," Inutaishou snorted, amused by his own insults. Returning to his normal self, Sasame nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. It's no fun with these two. Enjoy doing whatever you sort of people like doing," Waving his hand, Sasame then followed Inutaishou to flirt with some more girls. I watched them leave, looking around for my parents. Why hadn't they come to pull me out of such a situation? I then noticed that my parents nor Inutaishou's were there any longer. Wonderful. When I needed them the most, they left. And besides, it wasn't as if anyone in this crowd was going to help me. Demons staid out of affairs like these. They didn't want to meddle in young love; it was too messy. Plus, they always had gossip of their own to tend to, at least the "civilized" ones did. My face went to my hands, sobbing softly. I felt a sickly hand touch my shoulder and looked up to find Hirata staring at me.

"Do not shed tears because of what they said. It is not worth the salt or the time," he said softly. I wasn't sure if this was his way of trying to comfort me but knowing Hirata for not being very social, I knew that this must be his way of showing he cared.

"Thanks," I murmured, choking on tears all the same.

"But it is your fault for letting them get to you like this. It is your fault for letting them get the best of you. They can only make you feel bad if you let them," he stood, removing his hand. "You do what you like. If you like haoris over kimonos, then wear them. Although, it seems you wear haoris not because they are more comfortable, rather you're afraid. You're afraid that you might fall in love, so you pretend to be a person who doesn't care. I'd be careful if I were you. You might wind up like me...Mr. Wall...was that what they called me?" A slight grin appeared on his face, surprising me.

"Yes, and I was...She-man," I laughed now, thinking how stupid this all was.

"Oh, yes, that's right. I've heard better insults from my toenail," his smile was still presentas he helpedme to stand up. "I best leave, Achika. My guardian isn't here tonight, and he gets very angry when I don't come back on time." He then pressed a kiss to my hand, making me blush. I watched him leave, still confused. Confused that he had expressed so much emotion in such a small amount of time. And baffled that he had actually laughed and kissed my hand. But, once again, I found myself being cut short from my thoughts when I heard my mother calling me.

* * *

Sesshoumaru, current Lord of the Western Lands, was relaxing beneath the gnarled branches of a cherry blossom tree. It wasn't everyday the demon lord had time to sit about and do nothing. But at the time, the youkai was feeling rather lethargic and it being such a sleepy autumn day, he had to take the time to rest. His magenta eyelids drooped, resisting a yawn as he did so. Rin lay asleep on his stomach, rising with each deep breath the warlord took, cuddled close to him. Sesshoumaru had to admit the child was brave. He didn't allow just anyone to come this close to him. Yet, he loved this Rin girl like she was his own daughter. True, he wasn't going to come out and parade this, and he wasn't the best father in the world, what with the extent of her excitement following him everyday. Rin didn't seem to mind though. There was an unconditional love between the two; Rin would follow him to the four corners of the earth and back, so great was her affection for her "father."

Jaken, of course, disapproved of this entirely. A demon lord caring for a human child?! Preposterous. And besides, Sesshoumaru-sama had met him first. How dare that Rin take away his Sesshoumaru-sama, the lord he dedicated his life to serving. It infuriated the toad and the anger was barely bottled up in Jaken's toady body. Rambling about nonsense, the toad went on and on about how this wasn't proper, that Rin should have her head decapitated for such a disgrace she caused to her lord. Ignoring him, Sesshoumaru pretended to be asleep, his hand resting on the slumbering Rin's back. When everything seemed to be well and normal, the smell of his hanyou brother entered Sesshoumaru's nostrils. Flickering open his eyelids, he stood up, letting the sleeping Rin still rest.

"Jaken, watch Rin, or suffer the consequences," he commanded, not giving Jaken time to respond as he cracked his knuckles, letting venom dribble from his talons.

"InuYasha, are you sure we should be going this way? I don't sense any shards," Kagome called out to the hanyou, trying to keep up with him. Miroku was up to his usual tricks and Sango was practicing her aim on the monk's face as the two followed their self-proclaimed leader. As for Shippou and Kirara, they trailed behind, bored with the whole situation.

"I ain't trying to find shards right now, Kagome. I smelt Sesshoumaru and I figured while we were in the area we could slay—"

"Slay this Sesshoumaru?" The youkai lord offered, eyes narrowing as the group came into view. "How coincidental, I was thinking of slaying you, half-breed."

"Thanks for saving us the trouble of coming to us, Sesshoumaru," InuYasha sneered, his blade already withdrawn from its sheath. "Today is the day that I'm going to send you to your grave!" There was a unified sigh shared between Miroku, Sango, and Shippou. It seemed that "today" was always the day InuYasha would slay Sesshoumaru. But it never happened. InuYasha made threats he couldn't keep, as well as promises.

"We shall see, dear brother," Sesshoumaru replied coolly, his Tokijinn finding its way to his hand, waiting for his brother to come attack at him, InuYasha swinging his sword with his simian techniques. As the Tetsusaiga came to meet the Tokijinn, the two brothers glared at the other, ignoring everything around them. Preparing to deliver a blow to InuYasha's head, Sesshoumaru inhaled another familiar scent. Though this one he hadn't smelt in quite a long time. It smelt strongly of vanilla, making the youkai lord's nose twitch. He knew this scent all too well. And he didn't have time to turn around when a certain demoness tackled him.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-chan! I missed you so much!"


	2. Mother

Author's Rambling: I often wonder if Sesshoumaru's mother wouldn't really act like this. Considering the whole situation, she was probably some cold-hearted bitch (pardon the pun) Inutaishou picked up to have his child. But hey, Inu-Mama is a lot cooler like this. For some reason, Inutaishou and Achika's relationship when they were younger reminds me of InuYasha and Kagome...though I hate to compare Achika to the miko. You just know it's the classic angst where they throw insults at the other until they fall in love. Anyway, I have this idea that Sesshoumaru's mother was probably just a youkai. This is due to the fact that Sesshoumaru isn't nearly as strong as his father, no warlord would marry a woman more powerful than himself, and I don't think female youkai would really have a full demon form. There isn't much need for it, you know? A demon husband would protect his wife. But, I guess if Achika had a demonic form, it would be a pink dog. (laughs) Also, it could be the fact that Sesshoumaru is still a pup when compared to the omnipotent Inutaishou-sama. Do keep in mind that the first half of this chapter is all in good fun. Oi. I'm sorry I keep rambling on like this. Please forgive me.

* * *

Sesshoumaru was currently on the ground, his mother pelting his head with kisses, as he lay there practically frozen with shock. 

"Aren't you glad to see me, my Sesshy-chan?" Achika piped, standing up after she was through with the first wave of kisses she would give her son. Swallowing as he stood as well, Sesshoumaru kept his cold face, though his mind was racing to figure out why this woman haunted him so.

"You...still walk among the living?" Blinking in confusion, his mother only continued her display of insanity. The woman appeared the same from when he last saw her. She still was very youthful, perhaps a gray hair or two hidden in her silver tresses that found themselves pulled into two ponytails at the base of her skull. The only thing different was she was wearing so much..._pink_. Sesshoumaru had to blink a few more times to clear his vision. She had returned to wearing a haori and hakama, though they were drastically altered with a feminine flair. Her entire outfit was dotted with pink flowers, her flowing sleeves possessing a deep magenta border with white petals of silk sewn into them. Although, her pant legs were tucked into boots that reached her knees, the shoe wear covered with pink jewels in the shape of hearts. She did wear armor though, with a similar style like Sesshoumaru's, the only difference being the bone that covered the upper part of her left and right shoulders had more hearts instead of spikes inserted in them. The main color of her breastplate was a brilliant emerald, and to complete such an ensemble there was a sash of another shade of pink wrapped around her waist, which knotted into a massive bow on her back. Of course, her pink moon and stripes were also part of her look. Although, she didn't have a "fluffy" like her son and husband, due to the fact that she was not a taiyoukai, simply a youkai. But with all the overly sweet pink she was wearing, she could probably frighten away most demons.

Miroku shook his head. It didn't seem possible. The monk was aware of Sesshoumaru and InuYasha's father, the great taiyoukai of the West, who was feared by anybody who had a head on his or her shoulders. So, it was no surprise that Sesshoumaru was the son of such a warlord. But this woman, standing only a few feet away from him, clad in enough pink to make a blind man gouge out his eyes, was the mother of..._Sesshoumaru_? There must have been some mistake. This had to be going against some law of genetics. It simply had to.

Yanking her son to her bosom, Achika shook her son about, kissing him more so.

"This is how you greet me after all these years! This is how you repay the woman who carried you around for nine friggin' months!" Her voice dipped in and out with each word. Her son didn't even flinch, still in a state of shock.

"Mother, I don't understand. Where—"

"Oh, it seems like just yesterday your father and I were housetraining you! You were so adorable, my Sesshy-chan. After all, it did take you quite the longest time for you to figure out you take a tinkle in the chamber pot, not your father's fluffy!" she squealed, as some snickers were heard from InuYasha and Miroku, while Kagome and Sango tried to keep a straight face. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, managing to pull away from the woman.

"This isn't the time for—"

"And how have you been? I never know anymore. You don't write me or visit me or even talk to me for that matter. Such an ungrateful son you are."

"I thought that you—" Achika had hugged Sesshoumaru to her again.

"You've grown into such a fine young man. But you're still my Sesshy-chan. Do you still have those sweet little marks on your rear end? You know, some girl is going to find that the cutest thing," she cuddled him, as he slapped her hand out of the way from the back of his pants.

"Mother, I'm not your little boy anymore. Stop treating me like I'm a pup," he said calmly.

"Aw, are you embarrassed by me? I don't see why you should be. Or wait, maybe your embarrassed by your markings? I don't understand that either. When you were younger you used to run around the halls of the castle naked as a jaybird, laughing and giggling, not caring a bit about your exposed—" Now it was Achika's turn to be cut off be cut off not only by her son, but by the insane laughter of Sesshoumaru's brother.

"Listen, Mother, I don't really care for this." Sesshoumaru was trying to keep his temper with the woman; after all, she did bring him into this world, so he could try to cough up a little patience. But at the same time, he knew she had a thousand stories to tell InuYasha and his friends, along with anyone else who would listen. Although, it seemed the rumors about his mother being crazy were true. She was an absolute lunatic.

"You don't care that your mother loves you with all her heart and simply wants to dote upon her son? You didn't miss me, Sesshy-chan!" she screamed, huge tears flooding down her pink striped cheeks. Kagome arched a brow.

"The woman's bipolar," she whispered to InuYasha. "I have a few friends like this. It never turns out well."

"Bipolar? What's that?" the hanyou replied between laughs, clearly enjoying watching his brother get knocked down a few pegs by his overprotective mother.

"It means she has multiple personalities. If we're not careful we could say the wrong thing and—"

"You're whispering about me!" Achika turned to the hanyou and the miko, eyes slitting. "Why don't you just come out and say whatever you want! Afraid I might snap out at you, is that it?" she growled, letting go of her son to connect her fist with InuYasha's face, sending him to the ground. Sesshoumaru said nothing for the moment, glad that his mother was interested in something else.

"You're the spawn of that human woman who stole my hubby away! I should just kill you right on the spot or better yet..." she trailed off, kicking the poor hanyou in the groin. InuYasha wheezed, turning over on his side as both Miroku and Sesshoumaru shared a wince. "There. Now you won't be able to have your filthy bastard blood spread on to some pathetic human wench." Miroku, feeling a bit sorry for his friend, went to the demoness, taking her hand.

"Milady, a beauty such as yourself should not waste time on such things," he raised a brow. Sango practically gagged. Now this, _this_ was disgusting. The monk was flirting with the mother of their hated enemy? How vile could this get?

"Ooo! You're a cute one, even if you are human!" Achika beamed, giving him the same hug treatment she gave her son; not that Miroku complained. Suddenly, his hands found themselves stroking her, making the woman's eyes widen. Sesshoumaru clenched his fist; perhaps he didn't like his mother arriving like this, but he most certainly didn't like having the monk's hands violating her personal space. Although, Achika seemed to know what she was doing as a smug look appeared on her face. What was this, the fifth mood in less than five minutes? Sango grimaced at Miroku's display. It was down right gross.

Easily prying the monk's hands away from her, Achika put her mouth to his ear, whispering something inaudible. No later than these words had been uttered, Miroku let go, his eyes wide with disgust, his mouth twisted in a grimace. His face was turning a hint of green, appearing as if he would throw up soon. Stumbling over to Sango, he rested his head on her shoulder.

"What did she tell you, Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, raising a brow.

"Her...her..._age_," he gasped, his eyes enlarging as he looked up to her, "Never again. Never again will I touch a woman without knowing how old she is. To think I ...when she was _that_ old...shouldn't she be dead by now?" Sango sighed, shaking her head.

"It serves you right, and you know it." Achika was cackling now, sticking her tongue out at the houshi. Sesshoumaru let out a deep sigh. This was not going well. He did have to thank her though; she'd basically knocked down two of his enemies, at least for the time being. Suddenly, the demoness stuck her finger in Sesshoumaru's mouth, looking over his fangs.

"You haven't been eating things you shouldn't, right, Sesshy-chan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, remember when you like to chew on your father's shoe? Don't you remember how you swallowed a good chunk of it?" Sesshoumaru let a light blush form on his cheeks.

"No, I don't remember any of these childish acts you speak of."

"You should. You were barfing up rubber and had a tummy ache for a whole week! It must be hard having such a delicate digestive track. Remember how the maids had their hands full cleaning your chamber pot—" Her son covered her mouth after this, struggling to deal with her constant embarrassing of him. His blush darkened as he heard the giggles from Kagome and Sango break loose. He was going to kill everyone after this. There wouldn't be any witnesses. Removing his hand from her mouth, she went on with her rambling. "Aw, poor baby. Don't blush. There's nothing wrong with having a sensitive stomach. It goes along with your sensitive heart," Achika patted his chest, smiling as Sesshoumaru fought down the urge to strangle the woman right then and there.

"I do not have emotions, if that's what you are suggesting," Sesshoumaru said coldly, his patience waning.

"Yes you do. They're locked up in there somewhere. You just have to rediscover them," she hugged him again, tighter this time, making the youkai gasp for air. By this time, InuYasha and Miroku were recovered from their 'wounds' and looking over at the mother and son. Both letting out a mocking "Awww" the two then went into fits of laughter. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes this time, pushing his mother away.

"Mother, it's nice to see you alive, but I have to ask you to leave now," Sesshoumaru ordered, yet this was not heard by the woman as she caught sight of Rin walking toward her son. Watching intently, she looked at the girl as she hugged her master's leg.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin wants to leave now. She's bored... Who is that?" Rin looked up at Achika, staring in confusion. Lip quivering, the demoness scooped up the girl in her arms, eyes shining.

"So...damn...cute!" she exclaimed, hugging the girl, scaring Rin half to death.

"Mother, please refrain from profanity around the child." Jaken then came bumbling in, out of breath.

"Milord, I'm sorry, but Rin left and... Sesshoumaru-sama's mother?" Jaken glanced at the demoness, when Achika let out a scream.

"Giant mutant booger! Dear gods, save me!" she then let her halberd, tied with a pink bow, form in her hands. This was about the only magic she could do, pardoning her healing abilities. Whacking Jaken several times, the demoness didn't stop till she was sure the toad was dead. Clapping came from InuYasha and company, still laughing. Achika bowed at this, letting her weapon disappear while her son shook her head.

"Do you always have to make a show of things?" Sesshoumaru asked, though his mother simply went off on another topic.

"When did you have a daughter? Wait...are you married? You didn't invite me to the wedding?" Achika screamed, already jumping to conclusions. Then her eyes lowered. "You wouldn't do that to your own mother...would you? Or...did you get hanky-panky out of wedlock again?" She had a dark look on her face, as if she would lash out at her son. "You know, you're not too old for me to take you over my knee," she "threatened," still holding on to Rin. Sesshoumaru mentally slapped himself as he heard even more laughter from InuYasha.

"Yeah, Sesshoumaru, you shouldn't get 'hanky-panky.' Troubling some young maiden...Tsk, tsk," InuYasha chided, as his brother frowned.

"Mother, I did not get married, nor did I sleep with a woman out of wedlock. I'm simply taking care of Rin for the moment. And besides, she is human," Sesshoumaru said calmly, considering how he had this uncontrollable desire to kill.

"Oh, I see. You know, you were about her age when you when through the stage of smearing food all in your hair and your body. Remembering when you smelt of raw fish for two weeks? Wasn't that just so adorable?" Already, she was back to her normal, or not so normal, self.

"Mother. Stop with the stories. Enough," he said through gritted teeth, "I am currently in the middle of a battle. Please leave," Sesshoumaru glared at her as she arched a brow.

"What is it with men and their swords? Kill this, slaughter that. Oi, if you ask me, it's no coincidence that swords are shaped like the male se—"

"Mother, _leave, now_. I'll take you back to the castle after this if you just go wait somewhere." Achika was then shivering at the mention of the castle.

"No...Please...don't," she said between staggered breaths.

"And why not? I am the Lord of the Western Lands, and I shall due what I please."

"He...He'll be there. That's the first place he'll look to find me...and you..." her whole body was trembling now, her eyes wide with fear as she tightened her grip on Rin.

"What are you talking about?" Sesshoumaru raised a suspicious eyebrow, not sure how to approach this mood swing. Huffing, InuYasha crossing his arms.

"Well, from what I can tell, I think your mother is just rambling nonsense. It doesn't sound like a threat."

"Of course you don't think it's a threat. He always favored you," Achika spoke no louder than a whisper; her posture slightly slouched as she shivered more.

"Who? Mother, I think you're exaggerating this. Whoever it is, this Sesshoumaru shall kill it," he said flatly, picking up his Tokijinn that had dropped when he had been hugged.

"No. I'm not. You cannot exaggerate when discussing _him_."

"If you aren't going to tell me, I'm just going to proceed in my killing of InuYasha." Achika swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

"Inutaishou-sama has been resurrected."

* * *

"What?" Inutaishou and I yelled in unison. We'd just discovered the reason our parents had called us together. We were to be married. 

"Father, surely I do not have to marry her?" Inutaishou shot me a look, and then glanced at his parents, giving them a hopeless look. "Think of what our children would look like! With _her_ genetics the Western family is doomed."

"I beg your pardon," I glared, fisting my hands, "you don't look like you'd be a promising father." Our parents watched us for a while, letting us bicker it out for the moment.

"Honestly, Father, hear me out. This woman is a monster, a hag. She acts like she's on her cycle nonstop. First she's weepy, then she starts spewing out insults, and then she doesn't even respond to someone as attractive at me," Inutaishou stated, crossing his arms.

"Oh, my ass. Forgive me, milord," I said, looking up to Inutaishou's father, "but your son has no respect for women at all. You must have heard all about the relationships he's had with some of the young women in our court." My parents then gave me a look; it was wrong of me to just openly insult the Western Lord's son.

"Well, look at Miss 'I'm wallowing around in virginity' Ooo, I think I'm a saint now," Inutaishou rolled his eyes, his comments making me blush.

"How dare you! Have you no self-respect? ... I suppose not. You're no different than any of the other young lords here."

"Both of you listen. This marriage is assigned for political reasons. I am growing old, as well as my wife, and Inutaishou will soon take over. He will also need an heir. And, considering all the trouble my son has caused with most of the ladies here, not many parents of their daughters are going to wed my son. Though, I can't see why. He takes after me and not to mention there's a lot of respect that comes with the bride of the Western—" Inutaishou's mother jabbed her husband in the side.

"_Dear_, get on with it."

"Yes, right. Anyway, your parents too are aging and they need to make sure their daughter is with a respectable young man, Achika." I coughed here. Inutaishou ... _respectable_? What were my parents thinking? What were Inutaishou's parents thinking? Scratch that. Was _anyone_ thinking at all!

"Mother, please," I looked to her, trying to appear as innocent as possible, "how am I to find the man of my dreams when I'm forced to marry this slob?"

"Achika, please. Understand that we're doing this for the greater good." Clearly, Inutaishou didn't want to marry me anymore than I wished to wed him as he still persisted with his parents.

"Father, can't I just be like the Northern Lord and have several wives? That would just solve the problem," Inutaishou suggested, as I raised an eyebrow. The nerve of that boy! Just openly talking like that! For some reason, I don't think his father minded. From what I could tell, the two were identical in thought process.

"Well, I do see your point and a man has to have his priorities in life—" This comment only gave Inutaishou's father another jab from his wife, harder this time.

"Dear, please. Inutaishou, you are to be wedded to Achika. End of story."

"Please, Daddy," I smiled at my father, "surely there is a way around this?"

"Achika, what's done is done. We will see you at dinner tonight." And with that, Inutaishou and I were dismissed from the Western Lord's office. Both of us were briskly walking down the hallway, ignoring the other's gaze.

"I hope you know I don't have any interest in you whatsoever," Inutaishou hissed, his pace slowing as he threw a look at me.

"Well, I'd rather marry Hirata than you."

"I'd _love_ for you to do that. You two would be perfect for each other," he frowned, still walking the long hallway.

"Oh, I'm sure you'd love for me to do that. Then you could be with your little sluts," I glared. Normally, I tried to refrain from barbaric language. But this was indeed a barbarian I was talking to. I had to speak in terms he would understand.

"Excuse me, _bitch_?" he stopped here, looking me over, "did you say something?"

"Why, yes I did, you filthy _son of a bitch_," I quipped back. His eyes lowered. For a moment, we shared a growl, both of us wanting to attack the other. And I think we would have had each other's throats had it not been for the call of a maid telling us all to come to dinner. Our attention was then turned to proceeding to the dining hall. I made sure to step on his foot, and Inutaishou made it a point to push me into a wall. Never, I told myself, would I fall in love with him.


	3. Love

Author's Note: Sorry! I haven't updated in forever! But anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Let's see. I'm sorry about Inu-Papa being a jerk. And... Er, the little scene at the end...I felt so bad writing it. I felt like I was sinning or something. Ack, I'm such a wimp. But before you get this weird idea about me, know that I don't mean to offend anyone. After all, Achika and Inutaishou are married. I meant it in good fun. Perhaps it'll serve as a warning not to let your guard down with alcohol. XD But, it's not that bad when compared to a lot of the cheesy fanfics. And if you don't agree with the Inu-Mama/ Inu-Papa fluff, that's fine. Just keep in mind that this is a fan_fiction_. They aren't real characters. The fluff is for fun. No, a relationship wouldn't happen that fast...but it's supposed to be sappy romance. End of story. So don't get mad at me! Um, now that I've defended myself...enjoy.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood there quietly for a moment, trying to take this all in. The great Inutaishou-sama was alive? But who? Who would have such power to bring back the warlord? 

"Mother, if this is another one of your ways to get attention, I must let you know it is indeed bothersome. I don't have time for your fabricated nonsense," Sesshoumaru gave a dark look at the demoness, his patience waning.

"You think I would lie? Lie to get attention? Lie about something this serious?" she was panicking now, her lip quivering. Inutaishou was never patient. And the demoness knew that hell wasn't going to do anything to assist in the calming of the warlord's infamous temper.

"No, but you would sleep around with other lords to get attention, wayward wench." Inutaishou's voice rang strong. Taken by surprise, the entire group looked to him. They weren't sure how he had arrived; yet somehow he had managed to introduce himself without his wife or sons picking up his scent.

The lord was magnificent. His garments weren't in the best condition yet his supreme stature was able to compensate for his ragged clothes. Dirt smudged his face and clothing, though some of the sheen in his garments shone through the earth. Still keeping his silken locks tied back, his appearance really hadn't changed. Armor decked out his perfectly chiseled body, the fur pelt draped across his back, and his normal attire of a haori, hakama, boots, and gloves were all present. He squinted slightly, a nefarious gleam lurking in his piercing eyes. His lips parted back in a scowl, baring his fangs in anger. A bone-chilling aura exuded from his body, his mere being enough to scare away foes. Inutaishou was not happy.

"So this is how I have been rewarded. I come back after all these years by some chance to find that my first son has tried numerous times to kill his brother, my wife to have gone insane and stray to other men's bedsides, and on top of that, I discover my own family talking ill of me. Do not think that because I have been in hell means that I am not aware of what has been going on." His hands were wound tightly in to fists, his gloves threatening to tear.

At first, no one was really sure how to take this. It was unbelievable. Inutaishou was a legend in the minds of InuYasha and his friends, a tale that women told their children to scare them so that they would not wander off. He was a great lord that old youkai liked to reminisce about and recall old memories of fighting along side the warlord. It was as if he were not real, as if this being before them was nothing more than an illusion. But to Sesshoumaru and Achika, he was all too real. Swallowing hard, Sesshoumaru tried to keep a hold on his fear and bitter hatred for his father. There were only two things in life that Sesshoumaru feared: harm coming to his few loved ones and his gruesome bastard of a father.

"Inutaishou-sama," the frightened son began, doing his best not to show his fear, "It is good to see you alive and well again." His father turned to him, eyes ready to kill. With quick motions that even Sesshoumaru could not catch, Inutaishou had his first born by the throat, pinned against a tree.

"You think me stupid, boy? That this polite talk is going to make up for all the humiliation you've caused me? Let me see here. You've attempted to kill your brother, tried to steal a sword that was meant for InuYasha, and robbed my tomb. Have you no respect for your family?" Inutaishou growled. His son swallowed harder, looking at his father.

"I have no respect for my family because my father was the one who was responsible for the plethora of scars adorning my back. And I have no respect for InuYasha because he was your spoiled son and responsible for taking my left arm," he snapped. Deepening his growl, Inutaishou choked Sesshoumaru so he could scarcely breathe.

"And I suppose you left out your mother on purpose? Do you have respect for the whore?" the warlord jeered. Eyes slitting, Sesshoumaru made a futile attempt to claw out his father's eyes.

"Oh, let him be!" Achika sobbed, setting Rin down. "Stop Inutaishou-sama, please. He isn't a pup anymore. Stop punishing him; stop trying to control him," she pleaded. For a moment, Inutaishou did nothing except keep his death grip on Sesshoumaru's throat. Yet, the lord suddenly dropped his son to the ground, no sympathy in his eyes.

"As of now, you are no longer the Western Lord. I will be taking over from here, filth," he then kicked Sesshoumaru before turning to deal with Achika. Terrified, the woman took a step back as he approached her, his eyes set. His armor clanked with each heavy step, his sash snapping in the wind as he came closer yet. Coughing up blood, Sesshoumaru watched this, unable to do anything as he felt his neck throb. He was utterly humiliated. It wasn't the same embarrassment though that he felt when around his mother. True, Achika's stories did aggravate him but when his father beat him around like this, Sesshoumaru felt hopeless. Being male, the young lord didn't like showing weakness. He was supposed to be feared, hated; yet when he was tossed around like a rag doll, the fear he had worked so hard to create was destroyed. Pounding his fist to the ground, he ignored the looks he was receiving from his brother. Rin came to her lord despite this, hugging his arm.

"So, Achika, you believe I'm treating Sesshoumaru like he's a pup? And what do you call your babying him, hm? The pompous little bastard needs to be cut down a few pegs. He does not show me the proper courtesy and respect that I demand and deserve." Inutaishou grabbed his wife's arm, twisting it so she cried out in pain. "Which brings me to the point that you aren't very docile either. Do you have any excuse for your behavior? Because I'd just love to hear what you have to say this time." Looking to him with saddened eyes, the demoness whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Inutaishou-sama, lord, _sire_," she spoke cautiously. She wanted to scream out. She wanted so desperately to yell at him and tell him that what he said was wrong. But she feared for her safety and more importantly, Sesshoumaru's. Achika knew quite well that Inutaishou would not hesitate to beat her son when he became enraged. And his impatience was proved by Sesshoumaru's training sessions. His little patience had dwindled to nothing now; he was a monster. Whenever Inutaishou was angry in the past, he would find a way to calm his temper. But as he stood before his wife, he showed no signs of relenting. His youkai blood was pulsing in his veins, tempting him to hurt her more, to vent out his hatred. She was weak in his eyes; he could easily bring harm to her. When his eyes flooded red, Achika knew this was not her husband. He never desired to bring her this much suffering.

InuYasha had been watching with intent eyes. He had very little memories of his father. Even though he wasn't too fond of his brother or the woman that birthed Sesshoumaru, the hanyou knew that this was not right. Something had to be done. Bracing himself for what might come, InuYasha stepped closer to his father.

"Father, please, hear me out. I am fine now. Sesshoumaru couldn't get the Tetsusaiga from me. Our fighting isn't nearly as involved as it used to be. I know I am unaware of everything that is going on, yet I don't think Sesshoumaru's mother needs to be involved. It isn't worth the time to slap people around," InuYasha said rather calmly as his brother scoffed. It seemed fear had forced some manners into the hanyou. Turning to look at his second son now, Inutaishou paused, taking in what he said. It had been long and long since he saw his precious son. Guilt tugged at him. He hadn't been there for the boy at all. And now InuYasha asked a favor of him? Surely he could spare one. The hanyou deserved it.

"I see then," he said quietly, his ways quickly changing when addressing his youngest son. "Now go to Sesshoumaru and shed your womanish tears over him. The smell of salt is unbearable," he callously shoved Achika away, now approaching his second son. Achika did as she was told, though she would have gone to her boy either way. She embraced Sesshoumaru's head, weeping as she hugged him. Kagome and the others were still afraid. They really didn't know how to take this "family reunion." Inutaishou hugged his second son for a moment, and then pulled away before continuing. "InuYasha, I must apologize to you. I did not mean for this all to happen. So much has occurred while I have been...away. And I am sorry you had to witness that 'event' with Sesshoumaru and his mother. They don't know their place, you see. I had to set them straight," he gave a soft smile, ruffling InuYasha's ears. Glaring at the hanyou, Sesshoumaru tired to calm his mother, all the while his anger waxing. How dare Inutaishou do this. Just because InuYasha's mother was a human, his father's heart went soft for the half-breed.

"Father...I...I don't feel this is right though. You just hurt them," InuYasha chanced, "I don't understand." The hanyou was completely bewildered, though with good reason. He'd seen Sesshoumaru's mood swinging mother along with his violent father all in less than half an hour. It wasn't digesting all too well in the hanyou's mind. Inutaishou let out a gruff sigh, scratching behind his ears.

"InuYasha..." the warlord said softly. How was he supposed to explain everything right now? His head was too clouded with fury. He needed to tell his son a great deal. Inutaishou never had a "man-to-man" talk with the boy anyway. "Come now, this is not the place to discuss such events. We will go to the castle. And bring your friends along too. I would like to get to know them." Again, the taiyoukai smiled before turning back to his first wife and son. Sango and Miroku didn't know how to take this. They looked to Kagome who gulped, afraid to go against Inutaishou's wishes after what she had seen. Catching the miko's drift, they decided it might be wise to follow the lord. If they did, they might just keep their heads.

"Sesshoumaru, Achika, we're leaving. I'm not going to leave you out here blubbering," he mumbled, grabbing his wife by the wrist and pulling her up. He may have been mad at the demoness yet she still belonged to him, he still owned her. Inutaishou did not wait for his first born though. Instead, he walked off, his claws firmly around Achika's wrist. Suppressing a growl, Sesshoumaru stood, Rin held close to him as he tried to keep his temper. He wanted to kill Inutaishou. No, Sesshoumaru was not fond of his mother's strange habits and her stories, yet he did love her. And he didn't like seeing her pushed around by his father. But what was he to do? If he said anything that contradicted his father's desires then it would only cause further trouble. He would have to think of something. Keeping his cold visage, Sesshoumaru said nothing of the situation. He only followed his father, his brother and friends close behind.

"Inutaishou-sama, you're hurting my wrist," Achika said softly, doing her absolute best not to anger the warlord any more. Her husband only looked ahead, his mouth withdrawn in a tight line. "Please, milord," she whispered. Still, he gave her no response. Then, trying to be friendly toward him, the demoness attempted to place her head on his shoulder, nuzzling him softly. Inutaishou shoved her head away, not in the mood for affection. Achika attempted to curl her hand in his, yet he only tightened his grip on her wrist, making her wince. "So, when we get to the castle, Inutaishou-sama, what do you plan on doing? I thought maybe I could rearrange some furniture or perhaps go back to tending to my gardens or maybe even—"

"Do you ever shut up, Achika?" Inutaishou snapped. Hurt, Achika blinked a few times to try to stop more tears from falling.

"I...I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe because you were so mad was that you hadn't talked to anyone in a while. And, well, I missed you milord."

"Why do you think your rambling would help me feel better?" he scoffed, tugging her along, "I figured you were quite happy living with the Northern Lord or the Eastern Lord or whomever you were busying yourself with."

"I wasn't trying to disobey you..."

"Oh, really? Is that right? So you are telling me you just accidentally wound up having a relationship with them?" By this time, the castle had come into view, the magnificent structure towering above everything else. Inutaishou shoved the massive doors open, not bothering to give anyone a welcome to his home. He knew he was on the verge of losing his temper yet again, and he did not want InuYasha's friends to have to see another display.

"No.I went to them...because I needed someone to take your place, I needed something to fill up that emptiness. When you found the human I thought you didn't want me. I... I'd never been so emotionally hurt before. I just missed you, Inutaishou-sama. I know you aren't perfect and I anger you... but despite all that...well, I love you. And I've been so empty without you."

* * *

Dinner that night was awful. I remember there just being this awful taste in my mouth the entire time, even though the food was well prepared and the desserts were marvelous. But knowing that my life would soon belong to that beast was ruining everything. Our parents talked of wedding plans and how we were to be such a wonderful couple and that we would have wonderful children and how everything would be wonderful. If I heard one more thing about how this damned wedding was to be wonderful, I knew I was going to keel over and die. So, I just zoned out during that time, trying to smile and feign excitement. But because I was so unaware of everything around me, I didn't catch the full meaning of what Inutaishou and Sasame were discussing. Of course, Inutaishou and I had been forced to sit next to one another. And, of course, Sasame had to sit next to his best friend. And with the two together, life wasn't going to be improved. 

"Hells, Sasame, I don't know what to do about this. Why am I cursed with such a woman?" Inutaishou muttered to the kitsune, talking between bites of food.

"Did you try asking your parents about another wife instead?" Sasame asked, swigging down a glass of saké.

"Yes."

"How about compromising?"

"Yes."

"Having several wives?"

"Gods yes. It's as if my parents have their minds set on torturing me. She's just too uptight. She can't take a joke. And she doesn't even act girly. How is she supposed to be my wife if she doesn't swoon over me?" Inutaishou grumbled, shooting me a look. This I ignored. I was not going to be a part of it. Or at least try not to.

"Well, it's obvious then. You have to loosen her up. Flirt with her. Woo her," Sasame snickered. How..."wonderful." I wish I could have left the table. Or killed him. Either way, it would have been nice.

"Right. Do tell me how I am to go about doing that with the shrew over there," Inutaishou sighed. I heard a chuckle from the kitsune, and I recall their voices being so hushed for a few seconds that I couldn't pick up what they talking about. This put me on edge, but I pretended to be occupied with enjoying my meal.

"I promise, it'll work," Sasame's voice was then audible.

"Really?" Inutaishou had an unsure tone in his voice, something very strange for the taiyoukai.

"I assure you. The harder she slaps you, the more she likes you. Works every time." Sasame was too smug. I was desperate to figure out what on earth they were speaking of. But then, I felt a wandering hand fall to the back of my seat and then suddenly violating my personal space. A blush heated my face as I turned to Inutaishou, him giving me this stupid grin. Embarrassed and angered, I did what any self-respecting female would have done in this situation. I clenched my fist and punched him square in the jaw. I then stood and left, not looking back at what my parents or any of the other guests. Sasame's cackling could be heard as I walked away, slapping Inutaishou on the back.

"Oh, she loves you!" the kitsune snorted. "You should see your face! It's priceless!"

Needless to say, I was finally wedded to the young lord, only a few months after that little "event." I won't droll on with the details concerning the wedding. My traditional wedding kimono was annoying though. And I wept the entire time while Inutaishou had this constant scowl. We were both forced to say our vows and when it came time to kiss, I bit his lip. It was quite a sight. So, I'm sure you can imagine how later that night went.

"All right, now that you've completely ruined our wedding and made a fool of both me and yourself, you could at least fawn over me now and tempt me," Inutaishou demanded as we both sat there in bed. I don't think I've ever felt that uncomfortable.

"I'm not sleeping with you."

"How are you to bear my heir then?" Inutaishou looked rather impatient. I knew he didn't love me but well, he was still a guy and he still had his stupid desires.

"Adopt."

"...Excuse me?"

"I'm becoming a woman of the church. I won't be having your child." There. Problem solved.

"Fine, like I care. Our parents will just have our throats," Inutaishou rolled his eyes as I got out of bed, fists wanting so badly to punch him again.

"I don't care. They can kill me. There's just no way. No way that—" At this point, I had opened the door of our room and there was this short older maid standing in front of me. I had this itching feeling she might have had an idea of what was going on because there was this knowing sparkle in her eyes. "Um...yes? Can I help you?" The woman presented this tray to me holding a bottle of some sort of liquid and two glasses.

"Complementary saké, milady," she said, pushing the tray to me. All right, so I might as well come out and admit it now. I was a goody-goody. I'd never had alcohol. I wasn't going to touch it now.

"Uh, no thank you. I'm leaving."

"Oh, but you must take it. It would be rude not to." Inutaishou had gotten out of bed, taking the glass and pouring himself some liquor.

"Well, don't want to be rude," he said, guzzling down a glass. I fidgeted.

"I'll just be going now—"

"What's wrong, Achika? Afraid to have a glass?" Inutaishou taunted, already on his second.

"No, I just don't want any—"

"You're a wimp."

"No, I just want to—"

"What's wrong, the demoness can't take a glass of alcohol? Aw, too bad." All right. He was starting to push it now.

"No, I told you. I don't—"

"Shrew. Wench. Cu—"

"Shut up! Just shut your filthy mouth!" The nerve of that man! Were all men really this vulgar, this stupid? "I'll take a glass if it means keeping you quiet." I was nervous. Cursing myself for my stupidity, I took the bottle from him, pouring myself a glass. Closing my eyes, I swallowed it in one gulp. Rice wine is very bitter. It felt like my tongue was going to shrivel up.

"Wow, she actually could do it." Inutaishou chuckled, wiping his mouth.

"Of course I could." I then had another glass. And another. And just one more after that. I had to prove to him that I could do it. But after a while, Inutaishou started to look really attractive. I don't know why. I just remember wanting him to hold me and love me. His face was flushed, and he seemed so happy as he took another glass, finishing off the bottle. His eyes were so much softer then. His laugh was genuine. His face was perfect. And the way a few strands of hair escaped his tie, framing that perfect face. I'd never realized how handsome the lord was. And as I began to look at him more and more, I thought to myself how I wanted him.

I heard a soft chuckle from the maid and a click of the door. Inutaishou's eyes flickered as the candlelight played upon the amber pools. Then the light danced across his chest.

"Achika...Maybe we should start over...I never realized how beautiful you were..." Suddenly, I kissed him, hesitant at first but then more passionate. His arms wrapped around me, returning the kiss. Fine, I would love the man. I'd be his wife. Whatever it took.

And people wonder why I like my alcohol.


	4. Her Hubby

Author's Rambling: (gasp) Is this an update? Why, yes, I believe it is! I thought it would be best to get another chapter up before the third InuYasha movie, Swords of World Conquest, is released in English this September. Look for the crab in the beginning scene! XD All right, pardon the fluff in this story between Inu-Papa and Inu-Mama. But then again, I guess you have to have fluff in an Inutaishou story because he does have that cuddly fluffy...ack, bad pun. Thank you Rae-sama for being "beta-ing" my story. And for giving me ideas to embarrass Sess with! I forgot to thank you last time! I'm sorry!

* * *

Inutaishou had come to a stop at this, his hand still grasping his wife's wrist tightly. Her words echoed in his brain, twisting and turning as he mulled over the subject. Empty. Lonely. Love. Was this what he wanted? To be cruel, evil, vile, vulgar? A monster? To beat around his wife and son like they were his property? His possessions? Why did he treat Achika and Sesshoumaru like this? Yes, he was angry. But he was misplacing his anger on his loved ones. And his wife and son were suffering because of his problems. Where had this anger come from? True, he'd always had a terrible temper...but the violence, where did it stem from? Surely not from his childhood. He had a wonderful childhood. His father and mother cared for him. Inutaishou had everything he'd wanted in life. This was something he couldn't say for his own son though. He'd made Sesshoumaru miserable along with Achika. He'd yelled at Achika; slapped her; hurt her precious boy. She'd left him when he found Izayoi. And now she was telling him she yearned for his companionship? After everything that had happened? She needed him to fill that emptiness in her heart?

Achika needed Inutaishou. Despite how he made her angry and how he hurt Sesshoumaru, she strongly believed that some day he would change, that he would become a better person. And Inutaishou failed her. He died before he could change his ways. He died with her thinking that he hated her. But here she was, seeking his love.

_Why does she forgive me time and time again? I am not worth it. I am a fickle warlord. She never knew when I was going to explode and go on a rampage. She never knew when I was going to give Sesshoumaru another beating. But she trusted me. She believed that I would get better. But I didn't. I only made things worse. And, by some twist in fate, I am given another chance to repent? Another chance to make things right with my wife? I love her dearly. And I know I have a hard time getting across my feelings. She is important to me. I will make it up to her._

And then Inutaishou let go of his firm grip and embraced Achika, holding her close to him.

"Give me a chance to explain my actions. Perhaps it will not correct conflicts, but at least you will understand the reasoning behind my thinking," Inutaishou whispered, kissing the woman. Caught by surprise, Achika returned this action before pulling away.

"Sweetie, we have guests, we must be proper hosts," she smiled, realizing that maybe her husband would be less violent, more understanding, more like the man she fell in love with. True, she found his change abrupt, but she did not question it. She feared if she questioned him, it might bring on another metamorphism, something she did not want. He would never be predictable, but Inutaishou was much more fun to be around when he wasn't on a rampage.

"But of course. InuYasha, you and your friends will be shown to your rooms and a warm bath. Also, it will be gender specific," he cocked his head to the monk who was already preparing himself for a skirt chasing game. "And then you will all join us for dinner." The lord turned to his second born, placing a hand on the hanyou's shoulder, "Son, we have much to talk about. But for now, relax. Enjoy being in your proper home." Miroku looked away from a maiden, blinking a few times as he jabbed Sesshoumaru in the side.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru. Does all of your family suffer from violent mood swings? Or is it just me who thinks your abusive father turning to loving husband is a bit absurd?" he asked. Sesshoumaru glared balefully at the monk, sneering. He didn't buy this feigned lovey-dovey crap from his father. There was a reason Inutaishou had been resurrected. A person didn't just spend time and energy bringing back one of the most powerful lords so the lord could have some quality time with his family and make amends. Just because his father was acting polite did not mean Sesshoumaru would.

"First, _human_, you are not to touch me. Had I both my arms, I would have choked you by now but considering Rin is occupying my free arm, you will live a bit more of your pitiful life. I am still your enemy, monk," he hissed, adjusting Rin in his arm. Noting this, Inutaishou's temper flared back to life.

"Sess—" Achika cut off her husband by clinging to his arm, shaking her head.

"Please, did you not say you were going to tell me why you acted like this? Milord, please do not ruin it by returning to your old ways," Inutaishou sighed at this, his anger dying down for the moment. But there was a spark of distaste lingering in the warlord's amber eyes. Inutaishou and Sesshoumaru's relationship had been destroyed long ago. It would not be mended in a matter of seconds, and it would be a wonder if it ever returned to what it should be.

"Yes, you are right. Come; let us retire to the living room. It has been long and long since I have been in my home." He then nodded to some maidens to take away the guests. The servants were all giddy that Inutaishou had returned. It put a new step in their stride and they rushed more so to serve him...probably because they feared losing their heads. InuYasha and his company were taken away to freshen up, though Sesshoumaru still remained, Rin kept close against him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin is hungry. May she have a snack before dinner?" she inquired, tugging on the lord's collar. He looked at her for a moment, then up to his mother and father. This would be an excuse to get away from his family, so he complied.

"I'm sure I can find you something to eat," he said softly, not giving his father any respect as he strode by the lord without a word. Watching his son leave, Inutaishou turned back to his wife, the two taking off their armor. Once the armor had been taken away, the couple sat down, the warlord draping his arm around his bride. She looked to him, waiting patiently for his explanation. Inutaishou rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, trying to think of a way to word everything he wanted to say.

"Sesshoumaru's training was brutal for a number of reasons. I suppose what spawned it was when he was but a pup, and we were at one of the Meetings. Sasame called me into his office and told me that he would take over if there wasn't anyone to protect you or my lands when I was long gone. Of course, at that time, I wasn't as powerful and the bastard was a threat. I knew well that our son was going to require training. After all, I had training to become a warlord as well as my father, his father, and so on. It's only natural. But I didn't think his training would begin at such an early age. I thought this because it was a time of peace, that there wouldn't be any wars, or very little and that he could stay an innocent pup for a while. Yet, when someone I thought my ally came out and announced he would declare war, I knew that I had to do something. Then later on, when the Southern Lord died, I lost another ally. Plus, the Eastern Lord was after you so I knew he would be against me. This only increased the pressure to train Sesshoumaru even harder," he paused here, running his fingers through her hair as she looked away from him. "I think what really caused Sesshoumaru's training to be so tough though was that he was constantly challenging me as he grew older. I won't allow this. I am the Western Lord, and you know very well that I have an awful temper and won't put up with people going against my will. Therefore, the fit punishment was to beat his uppity attitude out of him. Unfortunately, he became bitterer because of this and yearned to challenge me. A lot of fathers and sons are like this, especially when the two are competing over a position of power. My thrashing him around most certainly damaged his pride as my heir and as a male in general. This made him angry with me, which in turn led to him coming at me with insults, and me responding with violence. You can call this wrong or abuse or whatever you wish. But had I a second chance, I would not change anything. If he had been polite, I might have eased up, but he is my son and he will not be silent when he feels something is not right." Achika didn't say anything. She understood Inutaishou's point, but it didn't stop her frustration. Sesshoumaru had to deal with both physical and mental scars for the rest of his life due to his merciless training. Seeing her sadness, the lord rubbed the back of her neck softly, trying to comfort her. "Now, if I did not love our son, I wouldn't have wasted my time training him. And if I did not love you and care about your feelings, I wouldn't have wasted my time explaining this to you. But know one last regrettable truth: because Sesshoumaru and I have exchanged such anger, I do not like him. And loving and liking someone are not the same. I will love him as my son, but I do not like him, just as he does not like me," he admitted. Achika bit her lip, finally staring at her husband.

"Are you sure of this? Maybe spending some time with him will heal this wound in you two's relationship? Couldn't you try?" she pleaded, hurt that her husband didn't like their son.

"Achika, Sesshoumaru and my relationship have been damaged for the good of our bloodline. He is strong enough now. He's learned to control his emotions, how to fight with skill, and how to act like a lord. He's violent, uncaring, and selfish. And this is what I wanted. Deep down, Sesshoumaru doesn't care about any person except himself. I know he loves you because you are his mother and you cared, raised, and loved him, something I did not. But he is older and does not need you to survive. I feel that he will show you respect when he is not in front of people he must be a threat to because he loves you. He shows me respect because of my position, not because I am his father. Although," he said softly, "this human girl that follows him. She might be the one he protects, the one he cares for. She might be able to melt his cold heart, in good time of course." Achika gave a weak smile at this, twisting some of the fabric on her kimono nervously.

"I see. But milord, what of Izayoi, the human woman you loved? Why did you seek her affections? Was I not a good wife?" she asked softly, her eyes expressing her hurt. "_Am_ I not a good wife?" Inutaishou sighed, hugging her.

"Achika. It has nothing to do with that. I don't feel like explaining it right now. I fear I will hurt your feelings. Just know I love you both the same, even though she passed away long ago. You are two different people so I love you for different reasons. You can't change that. So please, don't worry yourself over it," he finished, kissing her cheek. "Now, I'm going to take a bath. I really didn't have much time to wash up in the afterlife." He gave her a pleasant grin before standing and taking his leave. Achika watched him leave, still concerned. But then a happy thought hit her. Her hubby was taking a bath! And gods knew it had been a while since he'd had one and since the two had any sort of "enjoyment."

Giving a girlish blush, the demoness stood as well. There was a grin on her face. Oh, she'd make him forget all about that Izayoi of his.

XXX

Inutaishou had entered the bath, a towel tied snuggly around his waist. He dunked his head under once, letting the water trickle down his chiseled chest. Untying the tie that kept up his hair, he let out a content sigh as he let himself relax. It was no surprise that the warlord was built well. After all, fighting demons day in and day out was quite a work out. But for now, he could just soak here, letting the hot water of the bath sooth out the kinks in his muscles. It had been so long since he had some time to himself and not have to worry over matters. Closing his eyes, he let out another sigh, the hot steam that came off the water lulling him to sleep. Peace and quiet. No disturbances. Such bliss.

"Inutaishou-sama, my love, I have come for you!" Achika squealed, practically slamming open the door to the bath. "Did you miss me for the few moments we were apart, my hubby?" she asked, running to him. The lord cocked open one eye to look at his wife. Her silver hair was tied up in a bun with a rather large pink bow, and the only thing that kept her modesty was a fluffy towel-- pink, of course. He couldn't help but let a smirk slip as he traced her with his eyes but then he shook this off. No, he was more responsible than that. He wasn't a boy anymore. Inutaishou could control his desires...well, for the most part.

"Achika, dear, there is a reason I went to a separate bath from everyone else. I wanted to get away from _everyone_."

"Oh, but surely you didn't want to get away from me!" she countered, entering the bath and hugging her husband around the neck. Inutaishou couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping.

"Well, I suppose. But remember, we're the responsible adults and we must set examples for the others in the castle," he teased, snaking his arm around her waist.

"But the others aren't here, my sweet!" she insisted, nuzzling up against him. Achika cupped water in her hands and then let it run down Inutaishou's chest, enjoying the effect. Patting his stomach, she grinned, "I missed you so much! I've been lonely so don't send me away!" Inutaishou, now in a more playful mood due to his wife's flirtatious mannerisms, let out a teasing growl as he lightly pinned her to the bath wall, kissing her. Achika ran fingers through his hair, giggling like a schoolgirl between kisses with her husband. And before things were to progress into more _interesting_ matters, Sesshoumaru entered. He'd just made sure Rin was safe and fed when he decided that it was time he would bathe. His parents looked up, Achika instantly blushing as Inutaishou pulled away. Now where had Sesshoumaru seen this before?

"Sesshoumaru, sweetie, we were just 'snuggling,'" Achika began before her son raised his hand.

"Mother, I am no idiot," Sesshoumaru sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. His parents hadn't been together half an hour, and they were already going after one another. There were just certain things a person didn't want to see their parents doing. "There's a reason they put locks on doors," he said sarcastically before closing the door as he left.

* * *

Perhaps saké isn't the best way to ease a relationship. Even so, I feel that Inutaishou and I were good for one another. He helped me to be more playful, and I assisted in some of his maturity. I think that our contrasting personalities helped to balance one another and bring out better qualities. Thus, we were able to come to a halfway point between our differences and able to respect each other for that, or at least for a little while.

Inutaishou's mother and father passed away not long after the wedding. His father died of some illness, which wasn't the death a warlord would have liked. I knew that Inutaishou wanted his father to go down valiantly in battle, not suffering endlessly because there was no cure for his sickness. I remember this being strange, youkai, especially taiyoukai, rarely ever died of disease. Our bodies were usually immune to illness. But this mystery was never figured out and Inutaishou's mother died only a few months later, supposedly due to a broken heart. I didn't know Inutaishou's parents that well, but they appeared to really love each other, and I wished for a relationship like that with my husband. It did take a while, but as I said, we acknowledged one another's strong and weak points, thus meeting at a halfway point.

As for my parents, I continued to exchange letters with them, as my father was a general and close to the Western family. But after a while, I didn't get a response to my letters. A few weeks later a discovery was made that Father had died in a smaller battle. Yet, there was no report on Mother, and she was presumed dead. There was only emptiness without them. I don't think anyone can fully get over the death of someone they love.

I woke up one morning and realized a few things. One was that Inutaishou was already up and about his business. Another was a life-changing event. I sighed at this point, trying to desperately think of a way to break this news to him. After I was dressed, I decided that it would be best to tell him the news and get it over with. Once I had located his scent, I went to him. His back was turned to me as he was bent over, looking at some new reports from our armies. Draping my arms around his neck, I kissed his head.

"Morning, my sugarplum," I told him, kissing him again. He looked over his shoulder, smirking as he turned around and pulled me close to him.

"Good morning. I waited to have breakfast with you, love," he said softly as he played with my hair. "I have some wonderful news. Our armies have flourished and the Southern Lord just renewed his treaty with our lands." Inutaishou smiled. I was glad he was happy, but I always found it strange how anything with war energized him. Must have been a warlord thing that I'll never fully understand.

"And I have a bit of news for you, love," I said, kissing his cheek. I remember trying to go overboard with the affection, as to further ease Inutaishou.

"Do tell," he said, mildly interested as he tightened his embrace. I took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't lose his cool entirely.

"I'm late," I whispered to him, playing with a few strands of hair that escaped his tie.

"For what, love? There aren't any Meetings for a while. What could you possibly be late for? I told you I was waiting for you to have breakfast, but that isn't a problem..." he murmured, more interested in holding me than what I had to say.

"No, dear, I'm _late_," I repeated, hoping he'd catch the drift.

"That's nice," he said softly, smelling my hair. He certainly took that well, I remember thinking. Of course, it took a minute for it to all sink in. "Wait...you mean your with child!" he said loudly out of disbelief, backing away from me. I think that was the most surprise I've ever seen on his face.

"Well, yes," I smiled.

"But how did this happen?" he said, still unable to take this all in. I merely raised a brow.

"Well, Inutaishou-sama, when a Mommy and Daddy love one another very much—"

"I know _how_, Achika, I'm saying how did this happen so early!" Inutaishou sat down, rubbing his forehead. "We're going to have to prepare for this. I don't know what a baby needs. It's going to be my heir, for the gods' sake! I only know armies and war, Father never taught me anything about taking care of a child." I went to him, rubbing his shoulders.

"Inutaishou-sama, don't you fret. We have around nine months to prepare. Don't stress about anything, all right?"

"No, now I have to stress about everything! You're going to be given only the best of care, and I have to make sure you're happy so that the child will be healthy not to mention I don't want you in any pain because you're hauling around a baby for nine months and you're going to want strange food combinations and—" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Inutaishou-sama, not that I don't want this attention, but I'll be all right. That's why I married you, correct? To give birth to your heir?"

"Yes, yes, but I didn't think that would be for a while. I just don't know if I'm ready to be a father yet," he confessed, looking up to me. I massaged his temples, clucking my tongue.

"Let's go eat some breakfast. If you keep this up, you're sure to faint."

"Warlords don't _faint_, Achika, we pass out. Fainting is womanly," he corrected, though he was still stressing. I'd never seen him like this before. Usually, he was very collected or yelling about something. But to see him worry...well, I had to admit it was cute. Not that I was going to tell him this. One lesson I've learned is that you don't call males cute, unless of course, they're infants and they don't comprehend.

"All right, all right, 'pass out.' But please, let's go get something to eat. I think I'm in the mood for raw fish and orange peels." His eyes widened at the food choice. "I'm just jesting, Inutaishou-sama. You know me, I won't touch any fish." I took his hand and helped him to stand up, though he still seemed nervous.

"I'll carry you," he told me, his jittery hands picking me up, "I don't want you to hurt yourself." I wish he had acted like this more often. I could have gotten used to being pampered.

I love Inutaishou, but he can be very strange. I never knew exactly what was

going on in that head of his. At one point he was kind and amusing and then he could suddenly be so violent. And yet, I still love him to this day.

When word spread that there was to be a child, the entire castle was in good spirits. I felt embarrassed from all the attention I received. I guess when you're carrying the future of the Western bloodline, people give you respect. Thus, when Sesshoumaru was born and brought back to the castle, everyone was taken with him. Many of the maids wanted to watch over him for me. They told me that someone of my status shouldn't have to bother with taking care of him and that surely there was a wet nurse who would feed him, change him, and basically mother him. I simply refused. I knew that many women of royal status would hand over the heir to a maiden to care for the child, but Sesshoumaru was my baby boy. I wasn't going to allow any other person be his mother.

The moment Inutaishou placed our son in my arms had to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Inutaishou and I got into several arguments throughout our marriage, but I always knew something good must have come from it because we created Sesshoumaru, my precious son. Sesshoumaru was such the cutest pup! With his curious amber eyes and his chubby hands and feet, he made me smile every time I looked at him.

He sometimes made Inutaishou nervous though. My poor husband had trouble with infants. I guess this was because he hadn't been exposed to them.

"Inutaishou-sama, that's not how you burp a baby. You'll hurt the child if you hit his back too hard," I lightly scolded him while showing him how to correctly burp his son. Sesshoumaru was crying and wailing in discomfort.

"Achika, how the hell am I supposed to then?" I saw that his patience waned, and the crying of his son was not helping matters.

"Look, use one hand to support him," I instructed, placing his hand under Sesshoumaru's diapered rear end, "And then use the other hand to _lightly_ pat his back." Inutaishou proceeded, though growled as he did so. I knew he didn't like being told what to do. But I also knew he was trying to be a good husband and do this for me. Sesshoumaru let out a few baby sounds, spitting up some liquid on the rag that lay on his father's shoulder for just such occasion. I watched Inutaishou grimace at this, quickly setting our son in my arms and discarding the rag. He huffed, turning his head as he crossed his arms.

"I don't want to do that ever again. I've tried hard to be supportive of the pup and be there for you but enough is enough. My responsibility is to make him a lord, not burp him," Inutaishou said sternly. For a moment, I felt guilty. We were still young at the time, and Inutaishou still had a lot of that boyish restlessness in him, something he'd never lose. I knew he was dealing with trying to be a good father and still be an intimidating warlord. As I adjusted Sesshoumaru in my arms, I gave a small nod.

"You're right. I...I'm sorry. I should be more appreciative of you," I said softly, glancing at my baby who had calmed down. "I wanted to thank you for be so loyal to me. I know when lords take an official bride; they still keep their mistresses. But you've been very gracious to me, respected me, and most importantly, loved me." At this, he turned back to me, his eyes softening.

"I didn't originally want to marry you as you know. I still don't like being tied down. I like the power of being the Western Lord, but I don't like dealing with everything else that comes with the job. And frankly, I would have kept concubines if I hadn't seen what happened to Sasame's place. True, he's powerful, but he starts unnecessary wars over women that he has no feeling for. Also, I don't think I can handle many more children, which might occur if I chose to have several mistresses," he said this all quite calmly. "Not to mention, I've fallen in love with you. Ever since we've gotten closer, you've changed. You wear your hair down, you dress in beautiful kimonos, and you don't feed me insults...well, usually," he teased, kissing me on the cheek. I remember thinking how taken aback his words made me feel. Sure, Inutaishou wasn't perfect. I still caught him flirting with a maid or two and he was angered easily. And yes, we were a young couple so we couldn't fully understand what love meant. Yet, Inutaishou was openly willing to try and find love that it made me wonder if there was more to him. "The more I learn about you, the more beautiful you become." At this, I flushed and sat Sesshoumaru on my lap so I could hug my husband.

"Oh, hubby, you're so romantic!" I squeezed his neck, kissing all over his face. "You've never confessed so much to me! We're bonding, isn't that wonderful?" I saw him roll his eyes.

"Achika, you're pushing it," he warned, though he smiled.

"I'm sorry, I'll stop now." Sesshoumaru had commenced to more crying, as he wasn't being given enough attention. Inutaishou sighed, though said nothing, picking up our son again and stretching fully out on the couch. He then placed Sesshoumaru on his chest, patting the pup's back to calm him once more. I bit my lip to stop from obsessing over this as well. I guess what Inutaishou had said was true for both of us. The more we learned about the other, the more we appealed to one another.

After a few minutes, both Sesshoumaru and Inutaishou were dead asleep. I supposed helping tend to his son had tired out Inutaishou. Of course, Sesshoumaru fell asleep because it was his naptime, explaining some of his cranky behavior. I kissed them both on the head and pulled a blanket over them as I stood.

So, maybe we weren't the perfect family. But I loved both my boys and they loved me.


	5. Schmaltzy Details

Author's Rambling: So, um, this chapter is _uber_ lovey-dovey. Ha. I was just thinking that if Inutaishou and Achika had been married for such a long time, they would be comfortable around one another. Thus explaining the extra fluff. See, I really hate the teenage couples in stories because their love is so shallow. I'm not saying married couples aren't shallow...but it's easier to make them sickly sweet and flirty when they've been married forever. Ha. So if you're offended by really cheesy flirting between parents, then this fic isn't for you. I mean _really_ cheesy. But I wrote it with humor as my purpose. I actually have a plot for this story, but I wanted to add a fluff chapter before the story got depressing. XD Also, a correction—the third InuYasha movie will be called _Swords of an Honorable Ruler_. _Swords of World Conquest_ though was the direct translation, at least according to the subtitled version I watched. I can't wait, only a few more days until it comes out in English. Inu-Papa's dub better not suck emu eggs. Oh! Another thought! I'm planning out two new InuYasha stories after this. The first one will be an Inutaishou/Izayoi romance. Its purpose will be to make you hate Izayoi even more! I was also hoping to write a Sess/Arya romance fic too. Jeez, I'm in such a fluffy fic mood. Perhaps I might write a modern twist on InuYasha, but I promise it won't be your typical high school fic and it'll most likely be short. It'll allude to deeper meanings. And, in my spare time (cough) I want to write two separate fics on the animes Saiyuki and Fruits Basket. One more thing before I shut up for a while... Thanks for all your reviews! I can't remember who said it, but I laughed so hard when someone wrote, "Can Inutaishou die again now?" XD Thanks to all the people that reviewed my one shot! I luff you all! When you watch the third movie, look for the stripe on Inu-Papa's tummy!

Ack, one last, _last_ thing. I wanted to tell everyone why I made Inutaishou mean so quickly. One, because when I first started the Warlords Don't Cry fic, I wasn't planning an ending. I was just exploring characters really. I needed conflict so I decided to make him mean. But then as I learned more of his character, I was able to explain his actions. Two, so that the readers would feel for Sesshoumaru. Kind of like the Disney effect, you know? They either kill off a parent or make him or her mean so you feel for the main character. Third, because in the third movie when Inutaishou and Sesshoumaru are talking, there is an obvious underlying conflict between the two. I just felt compelled to write why that was. Last, because in writing and anime, mean characters are just awesome. Not in real life, mind you. XD

* * *

After their bath together, the married couple stood in their bedroom chamber, changing into something more regal for dinner. Achika wore a purple kimono, trimmed with embroidered ivy. Untying her ponytails, she brushed her long hair; proud of the way it still glistened when the light touched it.

Yet, her husband wasn't as content. Inutaishou was grumbling as he dropped his bathrobe to the floor, searching through his closet for a kimono to wear that night. The lord became more and more perturbed as he discovered that there wasn't a single garment in his closet that belonged to him. Of course, there were enough of his wife's clothing, but he couldn't even find a sash.

"Achika," he began with a disgruntled air, "have you noticed that none of my possessions are still in the castle? I can't find a kimono or haori or anything else in this damn closet. And can you also explain why all the paintings of myself have been removed?" His wife sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, you said yourself Sesshoumaru and you don't get along. I suppose he removed everything."

"Yes, but when you left the castle everything of yours was ridded of also and yet, I noticed that some of your clothing as well as the paintings of you have reappeared."

"Then perhaps Sesshoumaru managed to salvage some of my possessions," Achika finished, still looking in the mirror as she braided her hair. Huffing at this, Inutaishou kept from snapping out by turning away from her. He then proceeded to go through the closet again, hell-bent on finding him a garment.

Noticing a gray hair in her lovely locks, Achika scowled, trying to hide it in all the other strands. "Oh, I can't believe this! A gray hair! I'm going to be like Totosai if I don't figure out some way to stop this...this, _aging_ thing. Sure, being two thousand years old can do a number on a woman...but I thought maybe I had a few more years and..." She trailed off upon hearing a flustered growl from her spouse. "Inutaishou-sama, why are you so stubborn? You know you aren't going to find anything—" Achika stopped in mid-sentence as she turned to see her husband, noticing for the first time he wasn't wearing anything at all. Her brush instantly fell from her hand and then met with her free hand, clasped together as she held in a squeal. Wandering eyes studied his backside, while a coy smirk tugged at her lips. Unable to contain herself, she went to him as he complained about clothing and surprised him by pinching his rear end.

At this moment, the lord jumped ever so slightly. He then shifted his weight so he was facing his flirtatious wife, a questioning brow raised. She met this with a grin, watching him cross his arms.

"Normally if anyone tried that, I'd rip off their hands but seeing as you are my wife I think I'll overlook it," the lord commented wryly, before his hands found her waist and pulled her to him. Several giggles escaped the demoness as she hugged him around the neck, enjoying the warm kisses that Inutaishou placed on her neck.

"Oh, hubby-wubby-hubby," Achika cooed before kissing the lord's lips, lost in pure bliss. Lovingly stroking the small of her back, Inutaishou moved his other hand to the shoulder of her kimono, gently pushing it off of her. To his disappointment, his wife pulled away from him, adjusting her kimono and putting a tapered finger to his lips.

"No, no, sweetie. You can have your 'dessert' _after_ dinner," she scolded light-heartedly, shaking her head. "You are such a naughty puppy."

There were very few times where Inutaishou didn't concern himself with his pride and dignity. He was typically calm and collected, unless his temper raged to life. Still, the lord didn't flirt around like he did in his youth. That wasn't to say that he didn't have an interest in women—far from it. Inutaishou was just better at picking times on when and where to demonstrate his affections. Currently, Inutaishou was in a very good mood until his wife had denied him his desires. So when she ignored him, he continued to try and flirt.

"But Achika-chan," he smirked, using rare endearments as he stroked her face, "you just said that you missed me." Nuzzling his face below her collarbone, the lord took in her scent, intoxicated by the aroma and his love for her.

"Remember, we're the responsible adults," she said, clucking her tongue while running fingers through his hair.

"Responsible my ass." He smiled as his wife rubbed behind his ears.

"Inutaishou-sama, you can be such a dog sometimes," Achika laughed, shaking her head.

"Mmhm," he mumbled, resting his face against her chest as she continued to massage the back of his head.

"Anyway, enough of this. We've got to find got to find you something to wear tonight." Again, she pulled away from him as he pouted like a petulant child who didn't get his way. "Now there must be at least one outfit in this closet," Achika said aloud to herself while her husband sat down on the bed, muttering about something. "Ah, here, honey, you just didn't look hard enough. Honestly, why are men so unobservant?" she said to no one in particular, showing him a black kimono, layered with different shades of gray.

"I'm very observant, thank you. I'm just observant in different ways because I'm a male," he smirked. Achika decided she wasn't going to ask. She'd been married to the lord long enough to get a pretty good guess about his thoughts.

"Inutaishou, you're acting like we're teenagers again. At least pretend you're mature."

"I can't help it. You bring out my instinct." Achika blushed with all the attention he gave her, sitting down beside him.

"Ooo! I've missed you so much, hubb-wubb!" she sighed dramatically, dropping the kimono on the bed. "You're so romantic!" Kissing his face a few times, she then patted the kimono. "But you need to get dressed. There's no telling what might happen if you don't."

"Right," he agreed, reaching and taking the kimono from her, "the quicker dinner is over, the quicker tonight will come."

Achika just kissed him, falling in love with her husband all over again.

XXX

Inutaishou had placed himself at the head of the table, enjoying his first meal he'd had in a long time. His second son sat to his left while his first wife to his right. Sesshoumaru sat next to his mother with Rin beside him. Finally, Kagome had settled by InuYasha, Shippou in her lap, while Sango sat beside Kagome and Miroku next to Sango. The monk had chosen the seat farthest from Achika he could manage without appearing rude.

Amber eyes alert, Sesshoumaru waited to see if his father was going to attack anyone. His sixth sense kept telling him that there was something wrong. Yet, Inutaishou continued to eat, never making a violent move. For a while, an awkward silence hung over the dining hall.

"InuYasha, my son," Inutaishou said after some time, looking to his favored offspring, "has the Tetsusaiga been of use to you?" A soft growl came from Sesshoumaru at this. Inutaishou chose to ignore it.

"Yes, it's been real useful, Father," InuYasha said between mouthfuls, nodding as he did so, "I've gotten down several of the techniques. I've slain lots of enemies with it too." Sesshoumaru gave a look of utter disgust, his eyes narrowed. His appearance was softened though when Rin tugged at his sleeve. She needed assistance with her chopsticks. Blinking at this, the lord helped her, glaring at anyone who gave the two a strange look. The rest of the company was painfully quiet, still scared of Inutaishou's presence.

Achika was starting to realize that talking of InuYasha's birthright might have not been the best idea. Quickly, she tried to lighten the atmosphere. Grabbing her husband's arm, she cooed.

"Inutaishou-sama, isn't it wonderful having the entire family here, along with friends? Aren't you happy?"

"Yes, dear, very nice." Achika looked at him, saddened a bit he wasn't flirting back. Therefore, she tried harder to win his affections.

"And I'm sure everyone just loves being here. I know I do. I love being here with you," she said, swooning a bit as she traced his arm underneath its kimono. "You're so handsome, Inutaishou-sama, I could just eat you up!"

"I don't think I would mind that, love," Inutaishou said almost too quickly, a hinted brow raised. Achika's face flushed as she gazed at him, giggling.

"Oh, Inutaishou-sama!"

It was around this point that Miroku choked on his meal, his face turning a putrid green. Swallowing hard, he looked to Sango, nervousness gripping him.

"Dear gods, is anyone else besides myself finding these two a bit nauseating?" he whispered, while the demon slayer put her hand across his mouth.

"Hush! Do you want to be butchered on the spot?" Miroku pushed her hand away.

"No, of course not! But...they're just so...so..._old_! If you knew how old Sesshoumaru's mother was, you'd gag!" Achika's sensitive hearing picked up the houshi's murmuring, and she smiled at him.

"Come now, monk, was it not you who was flirting with me earlier? I don't blame you. We demons keep our youth for quite a long time." Inutaishou heard this and decided to tease the monk. His visage became completely intimidating, eyes stone as he glared at Miroku.

"Flirting with my wife? Aren't houshi denied pleasures of the flesh? Would you like to explain why you were attempting to seduce her? Speak quickly. I've never been a very patient demon." Miroku paled, rubbing his throat. He hoped it would stay connected to his head.

"With all due respect, milord, I had no idea she was your wife. And I wasn't trying to seduce her...just harmless joking."

"Harmless? You call your vulgar displays of violating a women's personal space, harmless? Inutaishou-sama, he was practically on the verge of asking me to bear his children! Well, not that I'm capable of bearing children anymore but I—"

"Mother, please, the unnecessary details can be spared," Sesshoumaru cut in between bites of his meal.

"Sorry, sweetie. Anyway, Inutaishou-sama I didn't know what to do! Imagine me, a helpless damsel in distress, manipulated by the perverse man! I was so frightened," she said, completely over-the-top.

"You're the one who told me how old you are! I was sure I was going to die from shock!" Miroku defended, terribly afraid Inutaishou would kill him. "Uh...from shock that a woman your age can still...er, look so absolutely gorgeous..." Sighing at this, Inutaishou shooed this argument with a wave of his hand.

"Do not worry, monk, I won't kill you tonight. I have plans anyway." Another squeal from Achika. Sesshoumaru had to cover his ears at this. He wished his mother would calm down just a little bit. She was acting as if she was on honeymoon. Looking away from his parents, he decided that it would be best to push their thoughts of a romantic evening to the far depths of his brain.

"Speaking of bearing children and what not..." Achika began, glancing to Sesshoumaru. Patting her son's arm, she smiled at him, waiting for his attention. When he finally turned, her grin widened. "Sess-chan, when are you going to marry and give me some grandchildren?" she asked, her eyes as innocent as she could muster.

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before returning to tend to Rin. A disappointed look crossed Achika's face as she gave a melancholic sigh. Inutaishou watched this exchange for a moment, analyzing the situation.

"Come to think of it, Sesshoumaru, why haven't you chosen a mate yet? That is part of the duties of being an heir to any throne. Even your brother has a suitable woman to bear his children." Inutaishou waited impatiently for a response while his younger son blushed insanely.

"Father, honestly, you couldn't be suggesting that me and Kagome—"

"As if I'd want to marry you! You're just a self-absorbed—" InuYasha's father just put up his hand to silence the two. It was then Kagome's turn to blush. She gave an apologetic look to Inutaishou, who nodded. When it seemed the two had settled down, the taiyoukai continued.

"How do you plan to continue our bloodline if you keep avoiding responsibility? As a matter of fact, when was the last time you attended one of the Meetings?" Inutaishou stared at his firstborn, his patience continuing to diminish. Hand tightening so that it formed a tightly wound fist, Sesshoumaru cast a disdainful stare to his father.

"The last time I attended one of those pointless meetings? Why, I'd have to say it was the day you beat me within an inch of my life in front of every demon of power in Japan. And I believe Mother was there too. Even that human whore of yours was there with the filthy half-breed. If you're having trouble remembering, why don't you ask InuYasha, your favorite? Oh, wait, he was an infant then-- So, let's see here, you apathetically beat me in front of both your wives and a pup, along with everyone else. What a wonderful person you are, Inutaishou-sama," Sesshoumaru ended with a caustic sneer, sarcasm lacing his words. Inutaishou clenched his chopsticks tightly, the utensils threatening to break. Silence returned to the room as the older lord's temper began to build rapidly. Concern flashed across Achika's eyes as she tried so hard to stop the two's fighting, but the two threw barbs at one another so quickly the demoness couldn't get a word in the conversation.

"Boy, I swear, if you keep this smart ass uppity attitude of yours—"

"Why the hell do you insist on calling me a boy? I'm a full-grown adult and you know—"

"Maybe I call you a boy because that's what you act like. An immature, spoiled son of a bitch who needs a damn good beating to keep him in line—"

"As if your mother wasn't a bitch?" Sesshoumaru said sharply, his eyes flooding with crimson. His father, just as equally enraged, stood up unexpectedly, pointing an accusing finger at his firstborn.

"Listen to me, I don't have the time to—" Inutaishou found himself being interrupted yet again, only this time it was because of his wife's sniffing and soft sobbing instead of his son's insults. She had her delicate hands folded in her lap as she looked down, crying quietly. Glancing around the table, the lord realized he'd made a mistake losing his temper in front of his guests, two of which were children. Everyone beside Sesshoumaru had a terrified look etched on his or her faces. Taking in a deep breath to calm his anger, Inutaishou sat down, putting his hand on his spouse's leg.

"Achika, love...I apologize. I didn't mean what I said." Achika tried to stop crying as she squeezed Inutaishou's hand for comfort.

"I...I know. I just wanted so very badly for you and Sesshoumaru to get along." The demoness' son watched her, frustrated at his father for making the woman cry.

"Mother, please, don't listen to him. I don't know why you continually seek his approval. But you must remember this is who the half-breed inherited his barbaric temper from," Sesshoumaru said, shooting a cold look at InuYasha. Immediately, the hanyou became defensive.

"You're the one who just snapped out at Father!" Inutaishou shook his head at his favored son, signaling that it was best to just let the situation go; although, the warlord was struggling with his fiery temper as well.

"Enough of this," Inutaishou said firmly, ending the feud. He stood, looking at his guests. "You are all free to do what you please, within reason, as my guests. But I do not want anymore of this meaningless bickering. If anyone of you needs something, there are plenty of servants welcome to do your bidding. I do not want my castle to be filled with yelling. I am glad to have you all here and hope to know you all better. For now though, I am excusing myself from your company." This said he walked to InuYasha, placing his hand on the hanyou's shoulder. "We will talk tomorrow." Then, he left the dining room at a brisk pace, tired of being polite to guests, as he headed to his bedchamber.

Miroku stood, done with his meal.

"Well then, I'll see you all tomorrow I suppose. Unless, of course, Sango you would like to join me tonight?" The demon slayer rose, anger evident in her eyes. Miroku swallowed. "Or not. That's fine too." He then left to his room while Sango went in the opposite direction to hers. After this, it was InuYasha's turn to leave. While he stood, he growled at his brother and left in a hurry to his room, not sure of what to make of everything. Shippou followed the hanyou, eager to tease him. Kagome and Rin remained, quiet in the presence of the youkai.

"Mother," Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking to the sobbing demoness, "don't you want to go with Inutaishou-sama? You seemed overjoyed to be with him tonight." True, Sesshoumaru hated his father. But if Inutaishou made his mother happy, then so be it. Right now, Sesshoumaru just wanted his mother to smile again, even if that meant letting a few emotions slip out while doing so. Besides, there was no one to watch, except for Rin and Kagome. He knew Rin had seen him a few times like this before. As for Kagome, if she ever leaked out any of this, he'd take pride in slitting her neck.

"I...I will. I'm just sad right now. I think I'll go see if my gardens are still in good condition," Achika said softly, leaving silently. Rin dozed off after a minute or two, causing Sesshoumaru to pick her up and put the human child in his lap.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, that was very nice of you...comforting your mother. I know she must drive you crazy," Kagome said, trying to understand the lord. But the lord wouldn't allow it.

"I'd suggest you keep your nose of your business, filth. My family's conflicts occurred long before you even existed. There's nothing a pitiful human like yourself can do to change this fact." Kagome looked hurt but not surprised. Despite this, she attempted once more to try and get him to talk.

"Your father...Well, I wanted to tell you, he has at least five shards of the Shikon Jewel in his neck. When we fought the Band of Seven, they only required one jewel to resurrect them. But Inutaishou-sama needed five? I've heard some of the stories, but I now know he must be very powerful and his power is only increased with these jewels. I just wanted you to know this because your mother is so deeply in love with him, I don't want her to be hurt when she discovers this. Sango went through the same thing with Kohaku. I don't know if this is Naraku's doing, but please tell Achika-sama this. She seems to be very kind, and if this is Naraku's fault, I'd hate for him to ruin yet another person's life." Kagome finally stood, not waiting to see Sesshoumaru's reaction. Even as she left, Sesshoumaru didn't seem surprised. Although, he found it odd that his father didn't smell like the scent of rotting flesh that the Band of Seven had. His father had the scent that he had always possessed. All Sesshoumaru could figure was that Inutaishou must have been given a new body. Whoever had brought his father back to the living clearly wanted Inutaishou to be just as he was hundreds of years ago.

XXX

Once Rin had been put in her little futon, tucked in with warm blankets, Sesshoumaru went to his, though he was unable to sleep. This castle put him on guard. He hated it here. There were too many memories that hid themselves in the castle walls, waiting for a chance to haunt its inhabitants. Sesshoumaru was so attentive that when he heard the door to his room open, he already had poison forming at the tips of his claws. When he saw that it was his mother however, the poison retreated, and he gave her a questioning look.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" he asked, looking her as she came to sit by him.

"Tucking you in, of course!" Sesshoumaru blinked twice, a bit bewildered by her mood change.

"I thought you were still brooding over how Inutaishou-sama hated me."

"Well, I was. But you know what I realized? Now that Inutaishou-sama is back, you two can have all the time in the world to get over each other's differences." Achika spoke while she tucked the blankets around him snuggly, kissing his forehead. Sesshoumaru gave an inward sigh. She certainly got over conflicts fast. For some reason, he was calm around her—when there was no one he had to worry about blackmailing him. In truth, he loved his mother dearly. She'd always been there for him. When he was a pup, she read to him, sang to him, protected him. And as he grew older, when Inutaishou beat him, Achika was always there; ready to help with his wounds. Yes, she cried _a lot_ and talked _a lot_ and frustrated him _a lot_—but Sesshoumaru knew this was Achika's way of showing her love for her son. Perhaps this was the reason he allowed her to baby him a bit when no one was around.

"That's good, Mother," he said softly, knowing full well her idea would never work, but didn't have the heart to ruin it for her. "But why don't you go to Inutaishou-sama now? Knowing him, he's probably waiting for you." She blushed, lightly slapping his arm.

"How dare you tease me! I'm your mother and yet you act as if I'm a love struck teenager."

"That's because you're acting like one, Mother. I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who really acts his age."

"If you acted your age, you would have a wife by now. Sesshoumaru, please tell me why you don't get married," she said to him, serious now. Achika hadn't talked to her son in a long time and there was plenty of catching up to do. Yet, Sesshoumaru wasn't willing to spill his entire story in front of her.

"Don't concern yourself, Mother. It's nothing you should trouble yourself with."

"Yes it is! I think I should have every right to know why you haven't found a mate yet. What about Arya? Have you talked to her lately? She's a very good person and would make an excellent bride for you! I would know, as I'm the one who taught her to sew! And how to talk to a man! Besides, she's very good with a blade now. She's not some clingy woman who will make a clingy bride!"

"Like you are with Inutaishou-sama? Clinging to him?" Sesshoumaru snapped suddenly, frustrated that his mother kept pushing this topic. He told her over and over again that he didn't want to wed yet. Taken aback, Achika stared at him, deeply hurt.

"Sesshoumaru? Why do you say such things to your mother? I'm only trying to help," she said, pleading her case. Sesshoumaru growled softly, his temper threatening to take control of him. Usually, he was able to contain it, but because he was comfortable talking to his mother on most topics, Sesshoumaru found it easier for him to snap out at her.

"Fine! You want to know why I have chosen a mate! Because the last time I was intimate with a woman, she stabbed me in the back and humiliated me in front of the entire court! I didn't know anything about women and how to handle that sort of thing. I was a stupid pup of sixteen who couldn't keep control on his emotions or his desires, though I tried to be stoic. And she, 'experienced,' took advantage of me! Now, can you see how embarrassing this is to me? A male, who'd never been in a relationship, tricked by some whorish daughter of Sasame!" he hissed, glaring at his mother but he stopped there, realizing that he had to contain all feeling. Sesshoumaru wasn't going to lose his cool any longer. Despite his decision to conceal his emotions, the young lord's thoughts raged inside of him, the whites of his eyes still blood red. But when he saw such a frightened look on his mother's face, he calmed down, looking at the floor as overwhelming thoughts rampaged through his head. _And suddenly, you were there, Mother, witnessing me being beaten by my own father! He didn't give a damn. Inutaishou just saw it as a chance to beat me, the sadistic prick. He treated me like a servant, no, a slave! When I volunteered to take my punishment that day so that you would not be harmed, he agreed, without even trying to reason with Sasame! The fucking bastard just beat me over and over with your screams echoing in my ears. I couldn't do anything. I was so damn helpless. I couldn't save me, and I couldn't save you! I hated Inutaishou. I always hated him, but at least he made you happy. I could deal with that. You cried so much when I was a pup because of Inutaishou hurting me, and I knew you were torn with loving him, your husband, and loving me, your son. But I saw that when he embraced you or kissed you, any signs of affection, then you were happy, hopeful that he might change. And that was enough for me. I'd deal with the bastard if that was what it took to get you to smile. But then, when he betrayed you, for a human woman, I became enraged. He chased you out, only for you to be raped by that bastard Sasame! And there I was, finding myself helpless once more. I was a boy, powerless with Inutaishou around. I could do nothing to save you, Mother. He always asked me why I didn't have someone I wanted to protect. He was so ignorant that he didn't even realize he had taken away my mother, the only person I knew to protect! _These thoughts had been bottled up inside him for so long, yet he refused to pour out his heart and soul. His pride wouldn't allow it, even in front of his mother. Although, he did open up a bit more, almost silent as he whispered, "And I fear if I take a wife, someone I need to protect, that'll I'll act just like Inutaishou did, hurting my spouse and my children. I find that I am so much like him, so sickeningly alike. So I drown out these violent emotions with my aloof behavior. Do you know how worried I am with Rin? She's like a daughter to me, Mother. What if I lose my temper one day and take out my anger on Rin by striking her? I'd kill myself. I can't be like that _monster_." Sesshoumaru finished, his hand quivering as he clenched it, his body trembling in bitter hatred as he fought desperately not to raise his voice. Without warning, Achika began sobbing as she embraced her only son.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I was just teasing you about marriage. If this is the reason you don't want to wed, then I wish you had told me sooner. I never meant to hurt you by continuously bringing up this topic. I'm sorry, so sorry. I thought this whole time you didn't tell me why you found a mate was because you were too shy. I didn't mean to cause this much trouble. Oh, my sweet boy," she wept, feeling accountable for her son's outburst.

"Mother, please don't cry. It was wrong of me to tell you this now, especially when you were so excited with Inutaishou back. Do not worry about me. I'm just frustrated. Look, go to Inutaishou-sama, I know you have missed your husband. Just because I don't love him as my father does not mean you cannot love him as your husband," he said quietly, wanting so desperately to take back what he had said. He held his mother though, hoping she would stop crying as he looked at the tears trailing down her face.

"But I can't, Sesshoumaru! I feel awful for loving the man who brought you so much harm! I'm a terrible mother for not seeing this sooner!"

"You are not a terrible mother," he said curtly, pulling away. "Just please, go to your husband and enjoy the night with him. I know you love him. I told you that if he made you happy, then that is what I want. It does not make me angry at all that you love him. I do not feel betrayed. Please, Mother, just stop crying like this," he said softly, seeing as he had disturbed Rin's sleeping.

"But, I, I—"

"Mother, go to him. It's what you want, right?"

"Oh, but Sesshoumaru—"

"It would make me happy if you would, Mother. I want to see you smile again, like you did those few times when I was younger." And as guilty as Achika felt, she wanted her son to be happy once more.

"All right," she blubbered, adjusting the blankets around him as she kissed his forehead again, her body still shaking. "You won't think me a bad person, right?"

"Mother," he said, scolding lightly, becoming impatient, "I wouldn't have told you to go to Inutaishou if I thought it would make you a bad person." Achika wiped her eyes, nodding between sniffles. If she stayed to talk with her son, she'd feel guilt-ridden. Yet, at the same time, if she didn't do as he'd asked, she'd feel guilty still. Thus, Achika hugged her beloved son once more before going to Inutaishou.

When Achika entered the bedchamber, Inutaishou didn't look up at her, intently reading a book (or as best he could with saké fogging his mind.) An abundance of alcohol had relaxed the lord, leaving him quite silly. Blankets were pulled up to his waist, though his shirt had been discarded. A saké bottle was on the ground as a few tiny drops dripped from its mouth. Two additional empty bottles rested on the bedside table, consumed a while ago. Silver tresses of gorgeous hair had escaped its tie, pooling down the lord's handsomely sculpted chest. Achika was so depressed, she didn't make note of this at all, turning to her closet and changing into her sleeping kimono. A flirtatious growl came from her husband while she had undressed, but Achika said nothing, only slipping under the covers but not too close to Inutaishou. Watching this in slight confusion, Inutaishou studied her. Even though he was in a drunken stupor, he was able to see she was upset.

"Achika, what's bothering you?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling his wife closer to him.

"Nothing," she choked on a sob, "it's nothing at all. I'm just distracted."

"Well, that's to be understandable. All women are distracted by myself," he teased her while pressing kisses on her neck. A small smile appeared on her lips, as she peered at the book in his hands.

"What are you reading about?" she asked, still withdrawn in her actions.

"Nothing really important. Just something to pass the time. It took you a while to come to me. You shouldn't torture me so," he said, his lips brushing against her cheek now as he spoke, dropping the book to the floor. A tiny laugh now came from Achika, a bit embarrassed by all this attention. Soon her thoughts drifted back to worrying about Sesshoumaru though, and she scooted away from Inutaishou. A puzzled look crept over the lord's face, his visage altering. Why did she keep pulling away from him like this? Wasn't it her who was so eager to see him tonight?

"Achika, what's wrong? In all the years we've been married, I would think that being apart from me wouldn't change the love we have for one another but strengthen it. Is it because of your affair with Sasame? I know the bastard took advantage of you. I forgive you, just as you forgave me with Izayoi. Surely you aren't embarrassed to be with me? We've known each other for the gods know how long. We've been married for quite some time, had a child together—" He stopped suddenly, seeing that she had started crying.

"I'm sorry, Inutaishou-sama," she murmured softly through her tears. He was being so forgiving and all she could do was cry. "I'm being a terrible wife. I'm just so exhausted with everything that's going on, and I can't believe you've returned, and I'm so happy and sad at the same time but I don't know what to—"

"Achika, relax. If you don't want to right now, it's not the end of the world. We've been married for as long as I can remember; it's nothing new. I just want you happy." He pulled her flush up against his chest, letting her weep. "I'm doing this for you...and well, me too I suppose," he laughed, playing with her hair, "but you don't have to stress over every little thing. And you don't have to worry about calling me 'Inutaishou-sama' when we're alone. Come now, how can you cry? I thought you liked it when I was drunk." Achika let out a silly laugh here, nestling her head in his warm chest.

"I do. It's cute. The smell of saké isn't nice though."

"Well, maybe you need some alcohol too to help you forget the smell."

"No, no. I won't be able to remember how silly you acted if I'm drunk too." Inutaishou chuckled lightly at this, rubbing his hand along her back.

"Oh, all right. I'll be polite and not take 'advantage' of you. We'll just cuddle tonight and save 'snuggling' for later, hm?"

"That sounds nice, hub-wub."

* * *

Sesshoumaru was crying. It took me a minute to wake up back to reality and realize this completely, but I felt Inutaishou nudging my arm.

"Your kid's crying. Do something," he groaned, eyes tired from lack of sleep. Sesshoumaru was at one of those stages where he loved waking us up in the middle of the night. And although we youkai could go for days without sleep, we needed _some_ rest at least. However, Sesshoumaru wasn't going to permit this.

"All right," I mumbled, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. Picking up Sesshoumaru from his crib, I sang to him softly, trying to calm him. When this didn't work, I figured he was hungry. Letting the shoulder of my kimono fall, I allowed him to nurse, glad that he was quiet for the moment.

"Why do you insist on him sleeping in here? It would be nice if we could once sleep through the night. If you left him in the nursery, I'm sure one of the wet nurses could tend to him." A grumbling came from Inutaishou after this, still griping about being awoken.

"I couldn't do that. He'd be lonely. Not to mention he's helpless at this age. I'd kill myself if anything were to happen to Sesshoumaru because I wasn't there to protect him."

"Achika, do you really think anyone is going to try and hurt him in this castle? No one in their right mind would do such a thing to the Western Lord's heir."

"Well, I'm sorry for having maternal instinct. Sesshoumaru's my baby, and I love him so much. What's wrong with a mother being protective of her child? If it's really that big of a deal, then I can go stay in the nursery with him," I said, determined to keep our son safe. Sighing deeply, Inutaishou reluctantly agreed.

"Oh, all right. If it means that much to you, let him stay here. I guess I can sleep in a guest room if needed," he reasoned. "Besides, I like you here with me. If keeping Sesshoumaru here is what you want, then I'll agree to it so that you stay." Flattered at this, I kissed the top of my hubby's head as he rested it on my shoulder.

"It's really wonderful," Inutaishou said after a moment of silence.

"Yes, the miracle of life is a miraculous thing," I whispered while resting my head on his.

"It's certainly miraculous," Inutaishou sighed, almost wistfully. "We need to do it more often."

"What?" I asked, so proud that he was such a good father and husband, "admire our child and cuddle?"

"No. Have more children and you nurse them. Then I can see your chest more often." As soon as he said this, I groaned, shoving him off of me. Men. Honestly.

"And here I thought you were deeper than that," I said, adjusting my kimono. I still held Sesshoumaru close to me though, placing my finger in his tiny palm as he clamped around it instinctively, gurgling softly.

"What's wrong with a man looking at his wife? I was complimenting you," he jested, kissing my cheek.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm raising two children with the way you act," I told him, shaking my head. "But I love my naughty puppy and all his quirks anyway."

Years went by too quickly and Sesshoumaru was six, the stage at where he didn't have a fancy for clothing in the least. I suppose every mother thinks that her child is the best, but I was sure of it with Sesshoumaru. I loved him so much it made my heart ache. I wanted him to grow and learn, so that he wouldn't be dependent on me or anyone else. Yet, I still loved having a child that came to me to ask if I could help him with his obi or brush his hair or kiss a boo-boo. There would always be the unconditional love between us mother and child. He'd always be my baby boy, no matter how old he got. I'd always cherish every moment I spent with him. Of course, there were some moments that were funnier than others. Especially when he went through the stage of shedding clothing.

I don't know why Inutaishou never learned from the incident with Sesshoumaru tinkling on his fluff...excuse me, _fur pelt_, but he didn't and not long after, Sesshoumaru had gotten a hold of the pelt that Inutaishou had left out yet again. I was reading a letter, trying to help Inutaishou with all his paper work, when suddenly I heard a loud noise in the living room, followed by a few more crashes. There was a high-pitched war cry, which could have only been my son. Afraid to see what damage had been done, I set the letter down on a table and proceeded to the living room, only to discover Sesshoumaru running around the room, completely naked except for Inutaishou's pelt which he had tied to his neck, draping his back like a cape. Waving his arms around, he ducked behind some furniture when he saw me enter.

A frantic maid then came up to me, her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, milady, but none of the maids can get a hold of your son to stop him from running around."

"It's all right," I told her, "I can handle this." I then dismissed her, looking at Sesshoumaru as he peered from behind a couch. "Care to explain what you're doing, my son?" I asked, forcing myself to give him a mock angry look without cracking a smile. A small whimper came from him as he appeared in front of the couch. He kept quiet though. "Well?" I pressed, folding my arms.

"I'm sorry, Mother! I was just trying to be like Father! One of the maids told me some of the stories about him being a great lord, and I wanna be just like him! So I stole his pelt 'cause I don't have one yet..." he said quickly, giving me the best guiltless look he could manage.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you are running around naked, Sesshoumaru," I said, tapping a foot. His eyes darted away from mine, clearly searching for a retort. When he thought of one, he puffed out his little chest, hands on his hips.

"Lords can do whatever they want," he declared and I bit my lip to smother my laughter. Around this time, Inutaishou had entered, causing our son to cower behind the couch again.

"What's all this racket? Where's Sesshoumaru?" he snapped, in a bad mood due to all the paperwork he had to attend to. When he caught the boy's scent, he raised a brow. "Sesshoumaru, come out from there." Sesshoumaru didn't hesitate when his father asked him. Brows raised, Inutaishou continued. "Mind telling me what you're doing with my fur pelt, Sesshoumaru?"

"He's pretending to be you, milord," I said, looking at the pelt, which was dragging the ground behind our son. "That's why he has the pelt."

"Yes, but why is he unclothed? How is _that_ like me? I do not run around the castle naked like this."

"Oh, but I wish you would, hubby," I said softly, so only he could hear, tracing his chest with my index finger. Smirking ever so slightly, he then turned back to Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru, I thought we went over that you do not run around this castle without clothing. Do I need to spank you to make sure you don't forget this?" Inutaishou frowned. Swallowing hard, Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"No, sir! I'm sorry!" he said, tears in his eyes from the mere thought of being punished. I felt my heart drop at this. True, I had been scolding Sesshoumaru earlier, but I wasn't going to punish him.

"Inutaishou-sama, that's a little rough, don't you think?" I said, walking to Sesshoumaru and wrapped the entire pelt around our son so that only his head was visible in the massive fur. I then picked him up, kissing his forehead. "It's just a stage he's going through. Besides, we're family. It's not too big of a deal."

"Yes, but someday he is going to have to rule these Lands. He is not going to want some of the maids or any of our guests reminding him about how he ran around nude. It won't do well when he's trying to be intimidating," he said firmly. "And get one of the maids to clean my pelt. There's no telling what's happened to it since Sesshoumaru got hold of it." This said, he left, returning to his office.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Sesshoumaru whispered, placing his head against me. "I'll wear clothes if that's what a proper lord does." I laughed, shaking my head.

"You're very silly, Sess-chan, but I love you a lot. Just don't break anything valuable in the castle anymore, all right?"

"Okay, Mother."

"Well, now that that is settled, let's get you some clothes and then find you some candy. You deserve a reward for being such a good son," I smiled, ruffling his hair.

Sesshoumaru cheered.

Yet, despite Sesshoumaru's happiness, he wasn't as joyful at dinner that night. In fact, he was painfully quiet. He'd hardly touched his food, staring at it with a bored look on his face. I watched him carefully as he pushed a sushi roll around on his plate with one of his chopsticks until it rolled off the plate and onto the floor. He then proceeded to stab the remaining food with his other chopstick, a frustrated look on his face.

"Sesshoumaru," I said, "are you sick? You haven't eaten any of your meal. What's bothering you?"

"He probably hasn't eaten anything because you keep spoiling him with sweets," Inutaishou said, not looking up from his meal. I gave him a cold stare, shaking my head.

"There's nothing wrong with giving him a treat now and then. He's a good son and deserves to be rewarded. But that's not the point. I don't think this has to deal with food. Can't you see something concerns our son?" I persisted, patting Inutaishou's arm, hoping he would try and get Sesshoumaru to talk. Finally giving me some attention, he sighed as he set down his chopsticks and placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Son," he began, "what's wrong? Hurry up and tell us or your mother is going to have a nervous breakdown." Well, that wasn't the _exact_ method I was thinking of to get the boy to speak, but I supposed it would work.

"I..." Sesshoumaru murmured, blushing for a minute or two before mumbling something even I couldn't hear.

"Sesshoumaru, a proper lord never mumbles. He says exactly what he wants to and doesn't sugarcoat anything. Just come out with it and be blunt," Inutaishou said sternly, patting Sesshoumaru's shoulder a few times. Looking at his father, he nodded, still blushing uncontrollably.

"I wanted to know where babies come from." For a moment, neither Inutaishou nor I spoke. I suppose as parents both of us knew this question would arise some day, but I don't think we were expecting it this soon. Therefore, we were both equally caught off guard. However, Inutaishou was the first to recover from this.

"Well, Sesshoumaru, I guess you have to find out sooner or later. See, in order for a woman to become pregnant, she needs the male to—" Here, I grabbed my husband by the ear, shaking my head. Giving me a slightly surprised look, confounded that I would dare tug his ear and treat him like a child, he snarled a bit. "What?"

"You can't tell him now!" I half whispered, half hissed into his ear. "It's too much information at once. You have to sugarcoat this subject right now. He'll be overwhelmed if we present this idea to him at such a young age," I told him as he pulled away.

"What do you suggest we do then?" he snapped, hushed as well. I glanced over at our son who was trying to figure out what we were talking about, confused about what was going on.

"I suggest we come up with a codename for this. You know, something to satisfy him now and tell him fully later on when he's older."

"Codename?" Inutaishou asked, raising a brow. "For sex?" I cringed at this, hoping Sesshoumaru didn't catch any of our conversation. I was determined to protect my son from the horrible world until he was old enough to understand.

"Inutaishou! Keep your voice down! A codename is a word that will take the place of another for the time being."

"Oh, and what word will this be? He's not stupid. He'll figure out we're lying sooner or later," Inutaishou told me, clearly thinking this a stupid idea. But it was better than just bluntly telling Sesshoumaru the truth when he was so young! I thought for a moment before turning to face Sesshoumaru.

"Snuggling!" I said firmly, "it requires lots of _snuggling_, Sesshoumaru." Coughing came from Inutaishou. But I didn't look at him to see what his reaction would be.

"Snuggling, Mother?" Sesshoumaru asked suspiciously. I jabbed Inutaishou with my elbow, hoping he'd play along.

"Yes, that's how it's done, sweetie. Isn't that right, Inutaishou-sama?" Inutaishou was still staring at me in disbelief.

"Um, yes, that's most certainly it," he muttered. "'Snuggling?' Honestly, was that the best you could do?" he whispered, shaking his head.

"Well, if Father agrees to that too..." Sesshoumaru blinked, still not completely convinced. "How come I don't have a lot of brothers and sisters then?" Another question?

"What are you getting at?" Inutaishou asked, seemingly interested in his son's logic.

"It's just when I see you two and you both think no one's watching you, both of you are smooching and hugging...and lots of other stuff I don't really get, like what you say to each other. That must be snuggling, right? Well, if you are both snuggling all the time, then where are my brothers and sisters?" I mentally slapped myself. Why did Sesshoumaru have to think so much?

"Sesshoumaru, I think it's best you go ahead to bed. Your mother will come tuck you in later," Inutaishou said, and I was thankful for this. Sesshoumaru pouted.

"What? So you two can snuggle some more without me here? Where are you keeping all my brothers and sisters?" he snapped, demanding an answer as he stood up in his frustration, hands on his hips.

"Sesshoumaru," Inutaishou said quickly in response, "that offer to spank you is always available. Would you like to take me up on it?" A yip came from Sesshoumaru as his little palms went to his rump.

"Good night, Father, Mother!" he said, kissing me on the cheek before heading up to his room. When Sesshoumaru had left, Inutaishou stood, offering me his hand.

"Now that the pup is gone, we can...what did you say the codename was again?"

"Snuggle?" I offered.

"Yes, let's do that, love."


	6. Plotting

Author's Note: Dear goodness me. Is this an update? Yes, yes it is! Haha. Well, Naraku is way out of character. Yeah, I know, I'm a loserface for making him crazy. So what. I'm not sure if I want to continue this fic or not. I've got some ideas as I mentioned before for a new Inuyasha fic that I'd like to work on. Also, I've got some ideas for a Pirates of the Caribbean fic because I'm crazy about the Commodore. D I guess I have a thing for white/silver hair, right? Heh. Anywho, thanks for my loyal readers. This chapter was rushed so I apologize. Much love.

* * *

Naraku gave an impatient sigh, drumming his fingers on a desk. His skinny figure was draped over a throne of sorts with ragged material hung over it. Sipping some blood red wine, he let out another sigh as he set the glass down on a desk. He glanced at the human skull that resided atop the desk, picking it up and chuckling to himself.

"Skull," he said to it, "I am clever, aren't I? Cooking up this scheme, hm? I must say I hate, no _loathe_, that inu family with all my being. It started with InuYasha, I suppose. When I pinned him to that tree. Then, of course there was Sesshoumaru, who didn't do my bidding. And well, quite frankly, I just don't like them because of it. Therefore, it's only natural that I torture their entire family for my revenge, wouldn't you say?" Naraku stroked his chin with his free hand, studying the skull. "So, one day, I said to myself, 'All right, Naraku, enough of these games. You must come up with a wonderful new idea to torture the inu brothers.' Of course, this was no easy task, mind you. I had to think of something that would throw them off completely. Yet, despite the difficulty, I, Naraku did indeed come up with something. And that, my dead friend, was the resurrection of that old geezer, Inutaishou. Just as stupid and cocky as his sons. But I will say one thing, he's hundreds—no, thousands more times powerful than his two brat sons. Thus, it took a lot of power to bring back the dog demon. I did it though. Because I'm so wonderful." Naraku paused in his speech to add another chuckle. He rattled the skull in his hand so that the lower jaw shook. "Skull, you mock me, laugh at my idea? You ask me, 'What good will this do?' Oh, I'll tell you. I've got enough shards in that damn demon to control him into doing my bidding. Here's my plan: I let the little inus get nice and comfy and when everything is peaches and cream, I strike. Inutaishou will kill them all." Naraku smirked. "How wonderful!" The hanyou was almost tempted to kick his feet in morbid glee but he held in this childish act. Suddenly, the door to his chamber was opened, his wind demoness entering.

"Naraku-sama, I have the latest reports on Inutaishou-sama," Kagura said, bowing in front of him. Naraku twisted his lips in a boyish pout, eyes narrowing.

"How dare you!" he declared, pointing a gaunt finger at her, his pale face grimacing further.

"I'm sorry, milord, I just thought it would be best for me to enter and tell you the news as quickly as possible. I was so distracted I forgot to knock!" Kagura quickly apologized, her eyes widening a fraction.

"No, no, not that, you idiot! You interrupted my _soliloquy_!" Naraku snapped, throwing down the skull in his anger, which then shattered as it made contact with the floor.

"Your what, sir?" Kagura asked, confused. Her master was really going insane. She couldn't wait to be free of him.

"Never mind. Someone like you could never fathom the vast intellect of a genius like myself," Naraku said dramatically, waving a hand into the hair. Kagura scrunched up her face. He was getting rather arrogant as well. "So, go on, tell me what you think is so dreadfully important about Inutaishou. Is he separating the family? What about the wife? Does she hate him now?"

Kagura swallowed.

"Well, not exactly. Sesshoumaru isn't happy. But that's to be expected. As for, uh, Achika, I think her name was and Inutaishou, well—"

"Are they fighting? Bickering? Shredding each other to bits and pieces and causing absolute discord!" Naraku said, on the edge of his seat, pale hands clenched.

"No, milord, they're...well, you see, they seem to be getting along really well. A bit too well if you ask me." Naraku listened, wrinkling his nose.

"How so?" he said, blood-shot eyes studying his wind demoness.

"Uh...I guess you would label it as, um, 'cuddling', sir," Kagura said. "Because that's what some of the spies reported. I mean, some of the servants who listened in on some of their conversations and whatnot...well, that's what they seemed to get out of the information they collected." Kagura finished with an irritated sigh.

"I see. Why are they 'cuddling' like you say?" he asked, quite impatient.

"I don't know. Probably because they love each other," she offered, just as impatient. "Do I need to define 'love' for you, sir?" Naraku huffed at her remark, crossing his arms as he pulled his legs up into the chair.

"I never had anyone to cuddle with," he murmured under his breath. "Well, then, we'll have to put a stop to this. I did not resurrect the most powerful demon in Japan for him to spend quality time with his wife. See that this 'puppy love' is taken care of."

"You know, if you can control Inutaishou-sama, I don't see why you just make him start killing people now. It would solve so many problems, milord," Kagura said quietly. Naraku fumed.

"Idiot! That would be too easy! I'm the leader, here. I know what I'm doing!"

"Of course, please forgive me," Kagura said sardonically.

"Only this once," Naraku said. With this, he waved his hand again, only this time for her to leave. Kagura resisted the rolling of her eyes as she bowed and left, practically slamming the door closed. This sounded like jealousy to her. Naraku didn't like seeing other people happy, especially Inutaishou and his family. But she didn't care. As long as she got Sesshoumaru in the end, it didn't matter. She sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Now she would have to coordinate the spies placed in the castle into setting traps to split up these two. Plus, there were those other spies she had to plot with. _There's never a chance to relax_, she thought.

XXX

"Which do you think looks prettier, the pale pink or the magenta kimono?" Achika asked, holding two garments in front of her husband as he gave her an impatient look.

"Aren't they both pink? I really don't see the difference or the importance of this, Achika," Inutaishou moaned, already dressed. "Just put one on and be done with it."

His wife scowled.

"This is very important! The pale one flatters my figure more but the magenta one brings out my eyes. What's _more_ important to a male?" she asked, blinking.

"Achika, dear...how in the seven hells is magenta going to bring out your amber eyes?" he said, raising a brow.

"Would you just answer my question?" she snapped. Inutaishou shook his head.

"The pale pink one. It will look nice on you." Achika fumed.

"Oh, of course you pick the pale pink one, right! Because all you can think about is a woman's body, not her eyes! I see how it is! You big, fat pig!" she said, blowing up in rage right in front of him. Inutaishou blinked, very confused.

"No, I wasn't saying that. You just asked my opinion, that's all. If I knew you were going to lose it I wouldn't have said anything in the first place." The warlord shifted his weight as he rubbed the back of his head, muttering something about women. "And you shouldn't jump to conclusions. The magenta hurts my eyes. The pale pink is softer." Achika smiled at this, kissing his cheek.

"Is that all? You're so sweet," she said before changing into the pale pink kimono. All that conflict over one article of clothing? His face faltering, Inutaishou decided it was best not to ask. He'd lived with her long enough to know it was smart to just let things go when in concerned a matter of garments.

After breakfast (which Sesshoumaru had not bothered to attend) Inutaishou left to patrol his lands once more, marking trees and other objects with his blood to let others known it was he who ruled the Western Lands now.

Achika spent her time continuing to work on her gardens. She brought new life to the heavenly smelling gardenias and nourished her daisies with the best of care. The garden was filled with a myriad of many more exotic flowers, breeds only known to the most civilized of youkai. Humming softly, she scooped up some of the flowers in her arms and stood with the intent of decorating the castle with them. The demoness figured they would lighten up the dark mood that lingered around some of her guests. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her husband returning now. _Well, that was quick_, Achika mused with a small shake of her head, _perhaps he has come back for a short break?_

Eager to meet him, the woman increased her pace and headed toward the castle gates, walking as fast as she dared in her long kimono. But, alas, in her short bliss, Achika tripped over her own kimono and felt the flowers leave her arms as she fell, only to be caught by comforting arms. Looking up into Inutaishou's eyes, Achika smiled.

"Taking a break, milord?" she asked as he set her down, the two kneeling as they picked up the flowers together.

"Yes, it would appear so. I've already remarked the northern part of the Lands. And you? Tending to those gardens of yours that you love so much?" Inutaishou said softly, letting a smile smirk slip. Achika curled her legs underneath her, nodding as he spoke. For once, the usually chattering demoness had little to say as she gathered up the fallen flowers. Inutaishou studied her silently, watching as her silver hair moved with a calm breeze and how her pink lips whispered something on occasion to the flowers she tended. Her alabaster skin was concealed from him, unless she adjusted herself so that a delicate wrist was exposed as she reached for a flower or perhaps she would pull back her hair for a second to reveal her slender neck, which he yearned to touch. There was a reserved, elegant beauty about the Western Lady that could still catch the eye of her husband. He found himself wanting to look at her longer and reach out to her, hold her against him.

Achika picked up the last flower when she felt his hand brush over hers. Blinking in surprise, the demoness returned her eyes to his, not exactly questioning his motives but almost encouraging him to continue with his affections.

Around this time, InuYasha was pacing around the castle, munching on an early afternoon snack. He happened to look out a window, where he made the discovery of seeing his father with Achika. The hanyou clenched a fist for a moment. True, his own mother was not among the living any longer, but InuYasha did not like Achika and he most certainly didn't like her near his father. Even at a distance, InuYasha could tell by the couple's closeness the feelings they were expressing for one another. The hanyou let out a scoff in disgust, when Sesshoumaru passed by the same window.

"Half-breed, quit gawking and go waste your pathetic life elsewhere," Sesshoumaru said sharply. InuYasha wanted to protest but his brother cracked his claws in warning. With a frustrated huff, the hanyou moved on to another part of the castle.

Meanwhile, Inutaishou wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and met her lips with a tender kiss. She returned the kiss for a second or two only to pull away and shake her head.

"Someone is bound to see us, milord," she quietly reminded, holding the flowers to her. Confused, Inutaishou scooted closer to her.

"So?" he asked, "how is that a problem?"

Sesshoumaru watched them now, his eyes lowering in annoyance. Yes, his mother was content, but he didn't like her father any more because of this. He stared with a bitter abhorrence toward the daimyo, swallowing a growl or two.

"It's not exactly. I would rather go somewhere in private, that's all," Achika stated, smiling at him. He smiled in return until he glanced up to see his eldest giving him a death glare from a castle window. "Inutaishou-sama?" Achika asked at this, now the confused one.

"It's nothing. Come, I can spare a little more time during my break," he said as he helped her to stand. They walked to the castle hand in hand, Achika keeping her free hand around her precious flowers. "And I'm sure we can find some things to do in that time frame," he grinned as he gave Achika a sly look, who coyly blushed in return but made no protest.

Sesshoumaru impatiently turned away from the window and raked his claws along a nearby table in his frustration. He didn't like how his father was somehow changing his mother. She had suddenly become quieter and submissive. Almost like how a "real wife" was supposed to act. And even though the young lord's mother drove him crazy, Sesshoumaru did not like the fact Inutaishou had that much of an effect on Achika. Sesshoumaru also hated how he was a full-grown daimyo himself, and Inutaishou refused to treat him like one. Sesshoumaru wanted Inutaishou gone; there was no doubt about it. Now the only problem was how Sesshoumaru would plan to go about getting rid of the daimyo.

XXX

Kagura glanced around at the few followers of Naraku she had been assigned to. They were an interesting bunch to say the least. Each one was remarkably intelligent and had his say-so in everything. But they were worthy followers and amazing spies, so Naraku put up with their arrogance in order to get what he wanted. Of course, Kagura had her own opinion on this group.

"All right, you all have been studying the inu family. Let's hear something about them. What can we use to completely tear this group apart?" Kagura began, looking around at the group.

A youkai with dark green hair that often stayed in front of his eyes sneered.

"I don't see why we just go out there and kill them. It'd be a hell of a lot easier than spying and planning out all this."

"Because it's what Naraku wants. If we don't comply to his wishes, we'll all be killed," Kagura replied, shaking her head, as she knew full well the consequences of disobeying her lord.

"Naraku has lost his mind. He spends all this energy bringing back Inutaishou only to have the family fight and kill him again. Besides, Sesshoumaru and his father already hate each other enough. Isn't that enough discord? And not to mention Naraku has been talking to himself quite a lot. This plan is certainly lacking," criticized a dark youkai who kept his head down.

A white haired demon scowled.

"I don't care about the sense in this plan. I just want to kill someone. As long as there is bloodshed, I'm content," he remarked as he inspected his talons.

"Well, regardless of all your opinions, we still need a plan. Naraku's waiting," Kagura remarked. "What about you, Hirata? Do you have any ideas?"

The elder snake taiyoukai grimaced.

"Why, yes, yes I do. And a very good one I might add. It's been a while since I paid a visit to my dear old 'friend' Inutaishou-sama."

* * *

"Why, it's a wonderful drawing, dear," I said, patting Sesshoumaru's head. He had just shown me his recent masterpiece of artwork. If one were to look at it, they would only see two stick figures, one slightly taller than the other, and both holding swords. But to Sesshoumaru, it was wonderful, as he had put his heart into it.

"I want to show Father," he said, waving the artwork around. He was only eight and had been training for a few months with his bamboo katana. Of course, I was unaware of the abuse at this time and Sesshoumaru was so eager to please his father still. I nibbled my lip.

"Although I know Inutaishou-sama would love to see it, he's rather busy with paperwork. I'm afraid he...got rid of another one of his secretaries and his work is piling up again. You know, the villages are requesting certain items and he has to keep our armies well fed and the lot. I'm sure you understand?" I asked and Sesshoumaru looked down, shuffling his feet.

"I...I guess so. It's just that I wanted him to see it really, really, _really_ badly. It was for him, Mother," Sesshoumaru said, continuing to look down. "I just worked really, really, _really_ hard and I really, really, _really_ wanted him to see it even if he was really, really, _really_ busy." I held in a sigh. His drawings may not have been amazingly artistic but he sure was quite the "artist" when it came to the art of persuasion.

"Well, perhaps he can spare you a moment or two. Come on, let's go and pay him a visit. Remember your manners though," I told him, taking his free hand as he gave me a large grin.

Once we reached Inutaishou's office door, I knocked lightly on it, even though it was slightly open. The only sounds were his scribbling across some scrolls and a few huffs in frustration.

"Not now, you two," he said almost immediately as we entered, Sesshoumaru full of hope that his father would pay him some attention. He was trying so desperately to make the lord happy.

"It will only take a minute, Inutaishou-sama. Sesshoumaru here just wanted to show you a drawing he made for you. He's been working on it all morning and is very proud of it. Surely you can spare your son a minute?" I said gently, putting my hand to Sesshoumaru's back and pushing him forward a bit.

"I'm _extremely_ busy. And unless you want our kingdom to crumble, you'll abide to my wishes and leave. I don't have time for the pup's doodles," he said impatiently. I watched Sesshoumaru's shoulders slump down and his posture alter considerably. "Besides, shouldn't he be practicing the few sword moves I taught him two days ago? Why was he wasting his time this morning on a drawing?" he added as he scrunched up the scroll and began anew on another one, still not looking up at either of us.

"Please, Father," Sesshoumaru chanced, tugging the lord's sleeve. "Look, I drew you and me together. Won't you look at it for just—" Suddenly, Inutaishou lashed out and hit Sesshoumaru, shoving him back a ways.

"Sesshoumaru, I told you I don't have time. Now why have you not only disobeyed me by continuing to try and show me this paper but also not training at all!

You are to practice in one of the training rooms when I am not instructing. I thought I made myself clear but obviously not! What do I need to do so you can comprehend?" the lord snapped and I felt as if my heart had been stabbed as I watched Sesshoumaru pick himself up, his face crumbling in tears as he ran out the door. I took up the artwork that had been discarded, wanting to console my son but at the same time, angry with my husband. I felt it would be wrong for me to just let the lord get away with talking to our son so harshly.

"How could you do that to him?" I said, glaring at my husband. "You couldn't spare your son one minute of your time?" Inutaishou glowered back.

"I've got papers up to my eyes here, Achika. I can't take the time to look at his stick figure drawings."

"I can't believe you! He's trying so hard to please you! And all you do is openly ignore him!" I said, slamming the artwork on his desk, hoping he would realize how important the drawing was. But he didn't even glance at the artwork. Instead, he took the paper and crumbled it up at once, like he had done with some of his other business papers, and tossed it away.

"Well, if he wanted to please me, he'd get his butt in one of those training rooms and practice sword fighting," he said, turning back to his papers. Having enough of this, I left, off to look for Sesshoumaru. But after searching the castle high and low, I couldn't find him anywhere. All of his scents that still lingered around the castle were old ones. Worried, I went back to Inutaishou.

"Sesshoumaru isn't here."

Inutaishou grunted, still bent over his papers.

"Wonderful observation. I'm so glad my wife is just so talented in pointing out the obvious. What glee I harvest within me for being blessed with a woman like you," he said sardonically, writing out characters on the scrolls at a quicker pace now. I fisted a hand in frustration.

"I know he's not _here_, in your office. I mean, he isn't in the castle at all!" Inutaishou finally looked up at me, making eye contact.

"Are you sure?" he asked, concern slightly in his voice, but his anger overrode it.

"Yes, I've checked everywhere he could possibly be. Inutaishou-sama, please, do something! I'm worried," I said, lowering my voice now, letting him know I was serious.

Inutaishou stood, looking at me still, and noticing my breathing was staggered. He took my hand firmly and guided me downstairs, not saying a word, and I didn't try to argue with him as he walked. When we reached the main hall, he paused, sniffing for a moment or two. Then, he put his hands on my shoulders and sat me down.

"You are not to move from this chair until I tell you to otherwise. I don't want you hyperventilating on me. I think Sesshoumaru ran away. I'm going to find him and teach him a lesson if he isn't already dead," he said coldly. My eyes widened.

"Don't punish him! If he has run away, he'll be frightened and cold and hungry. Let me come with you! I'll help look—"

"No, you will stay here and follow my orders," he said firmly and turned away, pushing the heavy doors of the castle's exit, not bothering to take a weapon or armor.

For an hour or so, I simply sat there anxiously, afraid to move and afraid for Sesshoumaru. What if he was dead? What if some demon had taken him from me? Why didn't anyone accompany him when he left the castle? Perhaps they didn't see him? But how could he have gotten out of the castle doors without anyone noticing? Perhaps he knew of a way around our guards? Was that possible for a boy his age to sneak out from under the watch of well-trained guards? Why was this happening to me? Why did a mother like me deserve the torture of knowing her son was not safe?

I fidgeted, glancing around nervously. My chest ached as I felt my heartbeat increase with each passing minute. A servant tried to coax me into eating or drinking something, but I refused every time he offered me anything. I dismissed him after a while, his presence only irking me further.

It then began to rain. First, it was a light patter; tap tapping on the windowsills and the roof and then it began to pour as a dark wind picked up. It made the trees moan and I heard some of them scratch against the windows, as if their branches were claws, yearning to pierce flesh. I shuddered. I constantly kept thinking my baby was out there, lost and alone. How was Inutaishou to find Sesshoumaru's scent in the rain? I tried to hold back tears as I wrapped a blanket around me, not knowing what to do.

But finally, after what seemed an eternity to me, the castle doors were shoved open, and in came my husband and son, soaked to the bone from the heavy rain. Tears of relief leaked from my eyes as I went to them, realizing Sesshoumaru was crying relentlessly. Inutaishou was just as cold as ever, a callous look in his angered eyes as he pushed our weeping son into my arms. Sesshoumaru buried his head against me, his wet hair plastered to his forehead and his garments clinging to his tiny, shivering body. I felt my son's little claws sink into my kimono as he clung to me, not showing any sign of letting go soon. Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I looked back to my husband, searching for an explanation.

"I found him in the small forest north of here. He was trying to make it across a small river. If I found him any later, he ran the chance of drowning. But he won't be running away again. I've already punished him, and in addition his training will be doubled starting tomorrow. Also, he is not to be given any dinner tonight. I want him bathed and put to bed immediately, Achika," he said cruelly, glaring at Sesshoumaru. "You've certainly learned your lesson, haven't you, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru refused to look up or answer; only burying his face against me more so. Inutaishou growled, placing his large hand on Sesshoumaru's small shoulder and clenched his hand a bit.

"Speak when you are spoken to, boy. I asked you a question!"

"Y-yes, Father," Sesshoumaru squeaked before I slapped Inutaishou's hand away from my son.

"I can't believe you, Inutaishou-sama! What gives you the nerve to punish him like this, when he is suffering from shock?" He glowered at me, raising the hand I hit, struggling not to strike me. Calming this urge, he lowered the hand, continuing to stare at me hatefully.

"I do what I feel is right, Achika. Do not go against my word. Sesshoumaru is my heir and will not run away from responsibility. I will not permit this behavior in my home and as long as I am alive, he will obey me. Now, do not anger me further, Achika! I do not wish to speak to you any longer," he snarled, turning from me and walking, his boot heels clicking coldly against the floor. Staring at his back in disbelief, I watched him walk away, wanting to yell something in return. But a loud sob from Sesshoumaru brought me back to what was most important. My son was in pain.

"Sesshoumaru... Don't cry, Sess-chan. Mommy is here for you," I said softly, kissing his cheek as he wept harder. "Come, dear, please don't cry so much. It's all right. You're safe now. I'm here to protect you." He sniffled at this, keeping his head against me. Realizing how cold he was, I figured it best for him to get a warm bath as quickly as possible. Plus, I didn't want Inutaishou angered anymore. Too many people suffered when he was enraged.

I walked in the opposite direction Inutaishou had left from, headed toward the baths. Sesshoumaru hadn't spoken and the only noises he made were the soft sounds of his breathing and the occasional hiccup. When I reached the bath door, I shifted him to one arm as I opened the door with my free hand, closing it gently behind me.

I set him down near the bath itself, still supporting him by holding him close to me as I knelt beside him.

"There now, can you stand on your own?" I asked, ruffling his hair a bit. He nodded along with a hiccup. "Are you all right? Do you want to talk about anything?" I said quietly, pushing hair out of his face. His face flushed in shame as he looked down at his feet. I shook my head. "That's all right, sweetie. Here, lets check and see if you are bruised any." I wanted to make sure that he hadn't been struck too hard. I gently untied his obi and then all of a sudden, he shoved me away, his flushed face crumpled up in frustration.

"I can take care of myself! I'm not a helpless pup, Mother," he reasoned, and I raised a brow. He gestured for me to turn around so he could undress in private. I held in an exasperated sigh. Sesshoumaru was past the "running around the house unclothed without a care in the world" stage but still needed help taking a bath. I did as he asked and then he cleared his throat to signal that he was ready. I turned to see a fluffy towel tied tightly around his waist, his arms crossed. "I need help cleaning my hair," he informed me, trying to sound important. Attempting not to laugh so he wouldn't feel bad, I hoisted him up under his arms and sat him in the bath.

"Yes, milord. Whatever you say," I teased, washing his hair. I took this time to check his back and rear end to make sure Inutaishou hadn't hurt him. At this, Sesshoumaru tensed.

"Mother! I'm eight! I'm not an infant! Stop!" he said, blushing again.

"I'm just making sure you weren't harmed or bruised. Inutaishou-sama sounded really angry and I wanted to make sure your punishment wasn't too severe. Excuse me for being a caring mother," I lightly scolded and he gave an impatient grunt. "There, your hair is washed. I'll let you dry off and get dressed by yourself because you're such a grown-up. I guess you don't need my help any longer then." I stood at this point and left to wait outside. A few minutes passed, and Sesshoumaru emerged from the bath, his hair still slightly wet and his kimono a mess. I remember giving him an "I-told-you-so-and-I'm-your-mother-so-I-know-what's-best" look when he came to me, clearly needing help.

"Tie this," he ordered, shoving me his obi. I raised a brow.

"Excuse me? Would a 'please' kill you?" I said.

"_Please_," Sesshoumaru said through gritted teeth.

"Better." As soon as he was all dried off and his kimono was fixed, I again picked him up and took him to his room. He quickly climbed into bed and his tiny stomach let out a hungry growl. "Let me go get you something to eat, Sesshoumaru."

"No! Father will be angry again! I'm fine."

"Sesshoumaru," I reasoned, "you need to eat something."

"But Father said—"

"Well, I'm your mother, and I say you need food." He recognized my tone and said nothing, knowing he couldn't argue with me. "Now, I'll be right back, okay?" I told him as I started to close the door behind me.

"Mother?" he said softly.

"Yes?" I asked, stopping at the door.

"I love you." I paused at this for a moment, smiling at him.

"I love you too, Sesshoumaru."


End file.
